Bosnia Losing Millions in Kosovo Blockade

Duljiko Hasic, an economics analyst at the Sarajevo-based Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina, told reporters this week that products from Bosnia which had traditionally been exported to Kosovo, had no alternative markets.

As a result, the trade embargo had “already caused enormous losses of several million Euros,” he said.

He indicated that other countries, such as Macedonia and Montenegro, were using the trade ban as an opportunity to gain market share by exporting their goods to Kosovo.

The Statistics Agency of Bosnia indicates that companies from Bosnia last year exported goods worth €155 million to Kosovo. In the first six months of this year, Bosnia exported goods worth €80 million to the Kosovo market.

The trade chamber has sent a letter to all relevant institutions of the European Union protesting  against the introduction of the trade ban and demanding that the decision be overturned.

The latest crisis in the north of Kosovo started last Monday, when Kosovo Special Police took over two checkpoints in a move to enforce a recent order from Pristina, banning the import of goods from Serbia and Bosnia.

The trade embargo came after Serbia refused to recognise Kosovo’s customs stamps during a dialogue process held in Brussels earlier in July.