In the next six months, the import of nitrogen fertilizer and anhydrous ammonia to Serbia will be exempt from customs duties in order to stabilize the domestic market and provide sufficient quantities of those products necessary for sowing and agricultural development, the Serbian Chamber of Commerce announced today.
As stated, this is the result of a successfully implemented initiative of the SCC and its members from the Association for the Chemical Industry and the Association for Plant Production towards the Government of Serbia and the competent ministries of agriculture and finance.
It is reminded that the Government of Serbia adopted the Decision on Amendments to the Decision on Conditions and Manner for Reducing Customs Duties on Certain Goods, ie for Exempting Certain Goods from Payment of Customs Duties in 2022, including Nitrogen Fertilizers and Ammonia Anhydrous.
The change of the decision has been in force since January 22, 2022.
“It is great news that this initiative of the economy has been adopted, because there is currently not enough nitrogen fertilizer used during sowing on the Serbian market. This measure will enable duty-free import and facilitate the supply of farmers,” said Dragan Stevanovic, Secretary of the Chemical Industry Association.
He also reminded that there is a shortage of mineral fertilizers on the world market, and that dependence on imports can be prevented only if domestic production grows faster than the increase in fertilizer consumption.
“We need to ensure a good supply of the Serbian market with mineral fertilizers, so that agriculture can apply the necessary agrometers and develop further,” Stevanovic added, emphasizing that the openness of the Serbian market, especially for nitrogen fertilizers, is the only way to stabilize and supply regularly.
According to him, the competition will provide agriculture with the cheapest, highest quality and regular supply.
It is reminded that there are three producers of mineral fertilizers in Serbia, Elixir Prahovo, Elixir Zorka and PROMIST.
Annual production reaches about 550,000 tons of NPK fertilizer and between 30,000 and 50,000 tons of UAN fertilizer.
On average, Serbia imports 450,000 to 500,000 tons of nitrogen fertilizers and 200,000 to 250,000 tons of NPK fertilizers a year, mostly from the Russian Federation, Austria, Romania, Hungary and Croatia, Beta reports.
