Following the United States’ decision to impose new tariffs on imports, an urgent meeting was held at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce with representatives of companies exporting to the American market. The meeting provided all relevant updates important for domestic companies. The state’s efforts to immediately begin negotiations with the U.S. administration were praised, and measures were proposed to directly and swiftly assist domestic producers affected by the new tariffs, as stated on the Chamber’s website.
During the meeting, which involved companies from various sectors such as rubber, metals, agriculture, defense, and automotive industries, it was announced that all necessary documentation from the U.S. regarding the new tariffs is expected to arrive by April 9.
Mihailo Vesović, Vice President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the importance of economic representatives, the Chamber, and the government working together in negotiations to secure better conditions for Serbian companies.
“It is essential that we urgently open trade negotiations, for which we know there is a queue in Washington, and we aim to be one of the first countries to negotiate favorable terms, at least those that would align us with the region and the EU,” said Vesović.
He added that, given that some companies are already experiencing direct damage, it is important to explore ways to immediately assist these companies, whether through opening specific credit lines under favorable terms or possibly financing exports under better conditions. This will be a topic of discussion in the coming days, Vesović stated.
Jagoda Lazarević, Assistant Minister for Economic Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mentioned that communication with U.S. representatives is ongoing at a daily level. A high-level Serbian delegation is expected to visit the U.S. soon, with the new tariffs being one of the main topics on the agenda.
Dragan Kršanin, Director of Tehnomarket from Pančevo, a company that has been exporting to the U.S. for years, emphasized the importance of a swift response from the authorities, especially for their company, which exports a third of its goods to the U.S.
“The area where we see a solution is for the Chamber of Commerce and the state to get involved in the negotiations to bring the tariffs down to a reasonable level. We don’t expect a completely duty-free regime, but this situation removes us from the U.S. market,” Kršanin noted.
Sanja Stanimirović, General Director of Testeral from Jagodina, agreed with this assessment. She believes that the state’s response was swift, and it is now crucial to engage in negotiations with the U.S. side as soon as possible.
“Currently, it is most important to react quickly and enter negotiations. We need to try to find solutions through diplomatic and economic negotiations,” emphasized Stanimirović, whose company is 90% export-oriented, with 70% of that export going to the U.S.
She proposed that companies with long-term contracts with American partners be provided with specific benefits to protect not only the companies directly affected by the U.S. tariffs but also to preserve jobs.
