Posted on 15 Jan 2026
Serbia has introduced a six-month quota scheme for imports of certain steel products, according to a government decree that took effect, Kallanish notes.
The temporary quota, which came into effect on 1 January, applies to the import of certain ferrous metallurgy products to support market stability in strategic sectors. An additional 50% duty will be imposed on imports in excess of the established quotas, the document says.
Quotas will be distributed among countries and customs territories based on their share of total imports over the past five years. The largest share is reserved for the EU, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and countries in the region.
The government decree covers five commodity groups, including hot rolled and cold rolled steel, ribbed reinforcing steel for concrete, hot rolled wire, and ribbed reinforcing bars. The total quota volume exceeds 420,000 tonnes, with over 250,000t of this being for cement.
The scheme will be implemented in two stages - from 1 January to 31 March and from 1 April to 30 June. Unused quota amounts may be carried over from the first to the second quarter. The customs administration is responsible for implementing and monitoring the scheme, and information on quota utilisation will be reported monthly to Serbia’s Ministry of Domestic and Foreign Trade.
Serbia has passed new laws on greenhouse gas emissions and carbon-intensive import taxes, which also came into force from 1 January. Both levies will be at a rate of €4/tonne ($4.66/t) of CO2 equivalent.
This is the country’s answer to and equivalent of the European Union’s recently implemented Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
Last year, Serbia called for the EU to phase in CBAM gradually to avoid economic shocks (see Kallanish passim). The proposal of the Commission to increase tariffs on imported steel will directly impact the Chinese-owned steel plant in the country – HBIS Group Serbia Iron & Steel.
HBIS can produce about 2.2 million tonnes/year of steel with its two furnaces, while No.1 alone has a capacity of about 900,000 t/y. Its product range comprises hot and cold rolled coil, pickled coil and electrolytic tinplate.
Serbia's production of crude steel totalled 1.28 mt in January-November, up by 0.6% on-year, according to worldsteel data.
Source:Kallanish
