In the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia – International Treaties, No. 3/25 of 18 March 2025, the Free Trade Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt (“Agreement”), signed on 13 July 2024 in Cairo, was published. The Agreement shall enter into force on 1 September 2025.
The implementation of the Agreement provides for:
- exemption from customs duties for almost 50% of agricultural products and 30% of industrial products,
- gradual full exemption from customs duties for more than 90% of products within a ten-year period,
- liberalisation for agricultural products (including frozen fruit and apples).
For the purpose of implementation of the Agreement, the following regulations have been enacted:
- Regulation on the Harmonisation of the Customs Tariff Nomenclature for 2025 (“Official Gazette of RS,” No. 73/2025), applicable as of 1 September 2025;
- Rulebook on Amendments to the Rulebook on the Form, Content and Manner of Submission and Completion of Declarations and Other Forms in the Customs Procedure, in the part relating to new codes for completion of customs declarations for the purpose of preferential imports under this Agreement and new codes for proofs of origin (“Official Gazette of RS,” No. 70/2025).
The Agreement covers all tariff lines stipulated by the national customs tariffs of both Parties, with the base level of customs duties and charges established as of 1 March 2023.
The Agreement also provides for a development clause, leaving open the possibility that liberalisation may, upon a reasoned request of either Contracting Party, be extended in the future to areas not covered by the Agreement.
The implementation of the Agreement opens a new market for Serbian exporters, particularly in the sectors of agriculture, food industry and fruit processing, while enabling Egyptian producers easier access to the Serbian market, notably in the industrial and textile sectors.
For additional information or consultations, the Tasić & Partners team is at your disposal.