Serbia’s freight forwarding and logistics sector is entering a new phase of development as trade growth, customs reforms, digitalisation and intermodal transport reshape industry operations. Companies are increasingly combining freight transport with warehouse management, border processing, electronic documentation, inventory control and multimodal distribution, while investments in logistics infrastructure and regulatory changes are altering competitive dynamics across the market.
- Trade Volumes Support Logistics Demand
- Regulatory Changes Increase Operational Complexity
- Electronic Documentation and Customs Reform
- Rail Connections Expand Intermodal Capacity
- Warehouse Expansion Supports Distribution Networks
- E-commerce Creates New Distribution Requirements
- Specialised Logistics Segments Attract Investment
Industry estimates from IBISWorld value Serbia’s freight forwarding and customs agency market at approximately €3.4 billion in 2026, representing annual revenue growth of 14.4%. The country’s road freight transport industry is forecast to generate around €2.4 billion during the same year, although the segment remains highly fragmented, with no operator controlling more than 5% of the market. Rail freight is expected to reach roughly €209 million in 2026, providing a smaller but strategically significant platform for intermodal logistics.
Trade Volumes Support Logistics Demand
International trade continues to underpin logistics activity. Serbia recorded €74.93 billion in external goods trade during 2025, including exports valued at €33.07 billion and imports of €41.86 billion. Member states of the European Union accounted for 58.3% of total trade, while commerce with CEFTA countries generated a Serbian surplus of nearly €2.96 billion.
The scale of cross-border trade places increasing emphasis on efficient customs procedures, border processing, trucking availability, warehouse capacity and document management, all of which directly influence manufacturers, importers, exporters, retailers and regional distributors.
Freight transport statistics indicate operational changes rather than rapid volume expansion. During the first half of 2025, Serbia moved 22.28 million tonnes of cargo, broadly unchanged from the previous year, while freight activity measured in tonne-kilometres increased 2.0% to 7.35 billion.
Road freight remained the dominant transport mode with 11.09 million tonnes carried, up 0.8% year on year, although road tonne-kilometres declined 1.0%. Rail freight volumes fell 12.5%, while inland waterway transport expanded, with tonnage increasing 5.9% and tonne-kilometres rising 37.4%, reflecting stronger utilisation of the Danube corridor for long-distance bulk cargo.
Regulatory Changes Increase Operational Complexity
Road haulage remains central to Serbia’s logistics industry but also faces the greatest operational pressures. Trucking companies continue to manage rising fuel costs, labour expenses, vehicle financing, driver shortages, toll charges, maintenance requirements, border delays and compliance obligations linked to EU transport rules.
According to the European Commission, Serbia has achieved substantial alignment with European road transport legislation but still requires improvements in road maintenance financing, deployment of smart tachographs, border-crossing procedures and the wider implementation of Green Lane initiatives.
These conditions are increasing demand for freight forwarders and third-party logistics providers capable of securing transport capacity while coordinating customs procedures, border documentation, delivery scheduling, warehouse operations, insurance, claims management, returns processing and multimodal freight movements.
A broader industry shift is moving service providers away from simple carrier brokerage toward integrated logistics management. Companies that oversee customs procedures, Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) processes, pre-arrival documentation, warehouse allocation, delivery windows, electronic invoices, dispatch documentation, insurance and compliance are becoming increasingly differentiated across sectors including automotive manufacturing, machinery imports, food exports, pharmaceuticals, fast-moving consumer goods, e-commerce and project cargo.
Electronic Documentation and Customs Reform
Digital documentation has become a central element of logistics reform. Serbia’s e-Otpremnica electronic dispatch note system entered into force on 1 January 2026 for public-sector entities, public-sector transactions and excise goods. Mandatory application for private-sector business-to-business transactions is scheduled from 1 October 2027.
The platform is intended to accelerate logistics operations, reduce paper documentation, strengthen inspection oversight and integrate freight movements with fiscal records. For logistics providers, implementation requires greater use of digital dispatch records, structured document exchange, invoice reconciliation and enhanced audit capabilities.
Serbia is already a member of both the Common Transit Convention and the PEM Convention, while customs legislation has largely been aligned with European Union standards. The European Commission has nevertheless identified further priorities, including stronger customs risk management, expanded pre-arrival and pre-departure analysis, improved customs laboratory capacity and the removal of terminal charges that are inconsistent with the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. Serbia had issued 66 Authorised Economic Operator certificates, providing an initial foundation for trusted trade facilitation while leaving additional scope for expansion.
Cross-border efficiency is also being strengthened through Green Lane initiatives. Serbia and Bulgaria signed a memorandum in March 2026 providing for the electronic exchange of customs data before freight reaches border crossings, allowing customs authorities to complete risk assessments and prepare clearance procedures in advance. Green Lane cooperation has also been expanded between Serbia and Hungary, increasing the commercial value of accurate pre-arrival documentation and customs preparation.
Rail Connections Expand Intermodal Capacity
Intermodal transport continues to gain strategic importance despite road freight remaining Serbia’s principal logistics mode.
The Batajnica logistics hub near Belgrade has become the focal point for new rail services. MSC introduced an intermodal rail connection between Batajnica and the Port of Trieste in October 2025, serving cargo including automotive components, ores, machinery, packaging materials and consumer goods.
In June 2026, Rail Cargo Group and Transfera launched a twice-weekly Belgrade–Budapest intermodal service linking Batajnica with the BILK terminal in Budapest, creating additional options for containerised imports, exports and port-related freight movements.
The European Commission notes that Serbia’s rail infrastructure pipeline continues to expand but identifies unresolved challenges including project delays, administrative constraints, maintenance issues, incomplete implementation of the Fourth Railway Package, interoperability requirements and the need to make customs services at the Batajnica intermodal terminal fully operational. These developments create opportunities for logistics providers capable of combining rail transport, road distribution, customs clearance, warehouse operations and port coordination within integrated service packages.
Warehouse Expansion Supports Distribution Networks
Growth in industrial and logistics real estate is continuing around Belgrade, Vojvodina and major motorway corridors. During the first quarter of 2025, Serbia’s stock of modern Class A industrial and logistics space exceeded 1.2 million square metres. Net take-up totalled 52,450 square metres, prime rents averaged approximately €5 per square metre per month, and vacancy stood at 6.5%.
Demand is being generated by third-party logistics operators, fast-moving consumer goods companies, automotive suppliers, e-commerce businesses, pharmaceutical distributors, electronics companies, import distribution networks and regional inventory management. The expanding warehouse market is increasing demand for bonded storage, customs warehousing, temperature-controlled facilities, fulfilment operations, cross-docking, kitting, labelling, inventory management and delivery planning.
Industrial zones in Belgrade, Šimanovci, Pećinci, Stara Pazova, Dobanovci, Novi Banovci, Novi Sad, Subotica, Niš and Kragujevac are increasingly functioning as logistics centres in addition to manufacturing locations.
E-commerce Creates New Distribution Requirements
Online retail is reshaping parcel and fulfilment services across Serbia. Consumers completed 110.6 million online purchases using payment cards and electronic money during 2025, an increase of 34.3% from the previous year, while the number of domestic online stores reached 5,632.
Postal statistics illustrate the same trend, with letter mail declining 10.4% during the first half of 2025, while parcel volumes increased 22.9%. The expansion is generating demand for fulfilment centres, parcel locker networks, same-day and next-day delivery services, cash-on-delivery and card payment reconciliation, returns processing, customer notifications and marketplace logistics.
As online order volumes increase, smaller retailers are increasingly outsourcing inventory management, pick-and-pack operations, packaging, returns administration and courier claims to specialist fulfilment providers.
Specialised Logistics Segments Attract Investment
Cold-chain logistics continues to develop as food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, vaccine, veterinary, chemical and excise-goods supply chains require enhanced documentation, temperature control, batch traceability and inspection compliance.
Project cargo also represents an important business segment as investment across Serbia’s energy, mining, transport, construction and industrial sectors generates demand for heavy haulage, abnormal load transport, customs coordination, police escorts, cranes, port handling and site-delivery planning. Renewable energy projects, transformer stations, wind turbine components, industrial equipment, railway works and infrastructure developments all require logistics providers with expertise in permits, route surveys, loading plans and liability management.
The Danube continues to provide opportunities for transporting agricultural commodities, fuels, metals, construction materials and other bulk cargo. Inland waterway tonne-kilometres recorded strong growth during the first half of 2025, although barge transport remains concentrated in cargo segments where cost, timing, terminal access and freight characteristics favour river transport.
Border congestion, driver shortages, rail reliability, fragmented carrier capacity, limited digitalisation among smaller operators, payment delays, subcontracting practices and dependence on international transport regulations remain key market risks. Truck-driver protests in early 2026 concerning EU entry and stay rules disrupted regional freight movements and affected exporters operating on major transport corridors.
Business opportunities between 2026 and 2028 include customs brokerage supported by AEO capability, e-Otpremnica integration, e-commerce fulfilment, returns management, cold-chain logistics, pharmaceutical distribution, automotive just-in-time logistics, bonded warehousing, intermodal rail services through Batajnica, port-linked container transport, project cargo, excise-goods logistics, business-to-business distribution, control-tower forwarding and compliance-focused fourth-party logistics services.
