Trade struggle between Macedonia, Kosovo

Two consecutive days of 100 tonnes of trees and vegetables in Skopje's majority market remained unbroken since merchants from Kosovo were not shown. This is the consequence of the largest customs by 30 percent for 21 agricultural products, which the Government of Kosovo imposed as it entered into force from today.

The property situation is extremely dramatic. This shit you see here, it was supposed to go, now it's gonna be blown away. This 30 per cent customs Kosovo imposed is a blow to the overall economy. Not only for peaches or peaches, for everything, for grapes, for all the tree articles that should go to Kosovo will they not go. Since the decision was made in Kosovo as if it stopped at once, as if it were a blow, very bad. 90% remains of the total inflow, 90% of the goods remain in the market, which should be exported to Kosovo”, one businessman says.

Kosovo agricultural products importers for Alsat M say that at the Blace customs crossing it is a real chaos. Trucks loaded with trees and vegetables are currently not allowed in two days.

Last night at 3:00 p.m., the tree and vegetable truck stays on the terminal. Bank guarantees are required in customs. They don't know how to calculate customs. We don't know anything, they don't tell us when we're gonna get dumped. Trees and vegetables can be ruined by long stays. We are told that the situation will normalise within two days. This is not good, not just for us importers, but for citizens as well. A kilo of cabbage yesterday was 30 cents and today it's 70 cents. The decision will certainly be lifted immediately”, says Bekim Haliti, a businessman from Kosovo, says an importer from Kosovo.

While Macedonian businessmen say the move will bring down purchasing prices in Macedonia.

Our <x0) authorities should urgently undertake something in this regard, remove or decide against- measure. If the market in Macedonia does not export abroad, there will be total blockades. Not just for our market, but for ourselves farmers will be very bad, another merchant says.

For Macedonia's authorities, the move is unclear in the legal- formal aspect. There's no fee numbers of products worth the decision. They hope the decision will be withdrawn.

“We will inform CEFTA, the World Trade Organisation and the EU of violating this decision and all agreements, and with these documents that are our first reaction we will immediately seek to withdraw such a decision. I expect the decision to be withdrawn. I don't know what interest this has been set up. If this does not happen in the short term, we will protect local productivity”, said Lupco Nikolovski, minister of Agriculture.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture data, Kosovo's defence customs mostly suffered tomatoes, peppers and plums.

Trees and vegetables worth 2.5m euros have been exported since the beginning of the year.

Macedonia does not import agricultural products from Kosovo, but import waste from steel, water, pipe and nyhhe nikli. /AlsatM