Serbia recorded approximately 7% growth in services exports during the first nine months of 2026, adding to the country’s foreign-trade earnings beyond the manufacturing and goods-producing sectors. The increase was reported by a Serbian Chamber of Commerce representative at the MEPS conference in Belgrade, alongside the continued recording of a substantial surplus in services trade.
Services exports encompass several business activities, including information technology, professional services, transport, tourism and other commercial operations. Their contribution to foreign revenue varies according to business models, infrastructure requirements, workforce needs and the ability to deliver services across borders.
Services Trade Surplus and Export Performance
The Serbian Chamber of Commerce confirmed that Serbia continued to maintain a substantial surplus in services trade. However, growth in export revenues does not necessarily translate into an equivalent increase in the overall surplus, as payments for imported travel services, software, professional advice and transportation can also rise.
The National Bank of Serbia’s balance-of-payments statistics provide a more detailed basis for assessing net foreign earnings across individual services categories and identifying the contribution of different activities to the country’s external position. The expansion of services exports also creates opportunities for domestically owned businesses to generate international revenue without the capital expenditure typically associated with heavy manufacturing.
Investment Conditions and Cross-Border Business Requirements
Further expansion depends on the availability of qualified employees, language skills, regulatory expertise, secure customer contracts and reliable international payment arrangements.
Service providers also face regulatory and operational requirements that differ from those affecting merchandise exporters. Data protection rules, professional qualification recognition, taxation, payment processing and employee mobility can all influence their ability to secure contracts with foreign customers. For transport companies, border procedures and cross-border mobility arrangements discussed at the MEPS conference are particularly relevant to the delivery of international services.
Performance Indicators for Service Businesses
For investors assessing the sector, export growth alone does not provide a complete picture of business performance. Other relevant indicators include customer concentration, recurring foreign revenues, labour productivity, client retention and the proportion of invoices collected on time.
Company-level profitability and the overall net services balance are also important for determining how much additional value the expansion of international services generates for the Serbian economy.
