Trade minister sets tariffs for Serbia's import flour

Trade and Industry Minister Bajram Hasani has set a safeguard clause for Kosovo's local producers.

As of October 23rd, flour imported from Serbia will pay the fee of 0.04 cents per import of flour. With this decision The MTI instructs Kosovo customs to take all measures to protect flour producers by applying the fee of 0.04 cents.

This decision has been made following the company's complaint to local producers “M& Silousi” and the Kosovo Millian Association. Having found that Serbia's import of flour is being imported to Kosovo at lower prices than market price, below production costs respectively, where it is jeopardising Kosovo's flour industry in general.

In the MTI decision, which Kosovapress has secured, it is said that this decision is based on the Momo interpretation of the Department of Commerce and Commission for the import assessment of measures of 1910.2017, Kosovo Customs is directed to take all measures to protect the required flour producers to a measure of 0.04 cents. Also in the decision, the ministry is said to consistently convey the effect of these measures and, depending on the movement in the market, will act as needed.

Similarly, Kosova Prees has provided Memo commentary concerning the recommendation for the establishment of the final measure concerning the import of flour imported from the Republic of Serbia to the Republic of Kosovo. Which says:

“into the MTI Trade Department, with the date 07 April 2017, has been addressed by the company's demand for flour production “M&Sillosi”, which has been initiated as well as by the Kosovo Millian Association on June 2nd 2017, which seeks to protect local flour production, with suspicion that it is imported from Serbia to Kosovo at lower prices than market price, respectively, under the cost of production, where the production industry is endangering in Kosovo in general. “, said in the recommendation memo.

And in this document on which the decision is based, it is said that the Trade Department team, in co-operation with the Commission for the assessment of exclusive duties on imports, has concluded a detailed research into the document in question, in order to identify Serbia's real import state of flour and to ascertain whether there are dupings on this product. To that end, the research team based on the law on anti-dumping measures and counter-balancing measures has used two methods of identifying the problem.

Under a method of production costs and method of real market price value. Also, the research conducted on the stated prices for Kosovo's import of flour from Serbia reportedly indicates that the average stated price is 0.19 cents per kilogram (based on the real cost of flour production proves that Serbia's exporter price is lower than the cost of production in Kosovo for about 31.80 per cent. Also in this regard, Memo reportedly on 22 September this year's Department of Commerce has forwarded to Serbia's Ministry of Commerce, announcing the launch of official investigations and questionnaire with the aim of obtaining information, but the Serbian side has not voiced readiness for co-operation for reasons already needed.

It is also said that in 2016, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture of Kosovo, 80.806.3 hectares were planted with a producer of 358,017 tonnes, where average productivity for one hectares was 4.4t/ha. Compared to 2015, there's less surface for 1,247.7 ha.