Negotiations about duty-free export of vehicles to Russia in spring – more liberal trade in drugs, wines, slaughterhouse and confectionery products starting March

- Negotiations between Serbia and Russia about revoking of duties on automobiles produced in Serbia should start in April or May 2009 – the people from Serbian Ministry of Economy told Beta agency.

As the people from the Ministry pointed out, these negotiations should give the answer to the question if the export of passenger automobiles will be completely liberalized or the quotas will be determined.

If the quotas are introduced, duty-free import of certain number of automobiles produced in Russia will be allowed as well.

People in the Ministry of Economy said that the application of the extended Agreement on free trade between Serbia and Russia should start in March, and that it should liberalize export of all drugs, slaughterhouse products, confectionery products and wines.

Once the Agreement is put in effect, all duties on refrigerators, freezers and other cooling appliances, washing and drying machines, certain types of carpet, wooden office furniture, all soaps, wool fabrics, sleeping bags, mattresses, bed linens, apple juice and malt beer will be revoked.

According to the people from the Ministry, the Agreement on free trade with Russia that was introduced in 2000 liberalized about 95% of trade, but the effects of the application have not been satisfying, and that is why that agreement was extended in September 2008.

Even after the extension of the Agreement, the free trade regime does not include sugar, meat, cigarettes, wooden furniture other than office furniture, glucose syrup, non-denaturized ethyl alcohol, champagnes, yarns and cotton fabrics, some air pumps, tractors, cash registers, TV sets and monitors.

Ministarstvo privrede Republike Srbije

Ambasada Ruske Federacije Beograd

Ministry of Economy

Agreement on free trade between Serbia and Russia

Embassy of Russia to Belgrade