In January of this year, Bosnia and Herzegovina, compared to the same month in 2025, reduced the import and export of domestic products, according to data from the BiH Indirect Taxation Administration (ITA BiH).
Thus, according to the data of the ITA BiH, imports in January of this year amounted to 1.84 billion KM, while in the same month of the previous year it amounted to 2.21 billion KM, which means that in one year imports decreased by about 370 million KM.
When it comes to exports, in January of this year it was 1.11 billion KM, while in the same month of 2025 it amounted to 1.25 billion KM, which means that it is less by about 140 million, they write. Independent newspaper.
Whether this is only temporary or could become permanent is not yet known.
Also, there are still no precise indicators whether the decrease in imports and exports was influenced only by border blockades by carriers, or if something else is at stake.
Companies lost 17 million KM
A few days ago, the Chamber of Foreign Trade of Bosnia and Herzegovina announced that based on the results of a survey filled out by domestic exporting companies, they lost a total of around 17 million KM due to the border blockade.
This does not necessarily mean that this is the final figure for the loss of companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Carriers blocked the borders for five days
Otherwise, from January 26 to 30, i.e. for five days, carriers from Bosnia and Herzegovina blocked border crossings for freight traffic with European Union countries due to the disputed rule that they can stay in Schengen countries for a maximum of 90 days, counting the previous 180.
After they received information that they could be exempted from that rule, they stopped the blockades.
Also, there are the problems of CBAM, the mechanism for cross-border adjustment of carbon whose tax was supposed to start on January 1, 2026, and it represents an additional levy on the import of cement, iron, steel, aluminum, fertilizers and electricity into the European Union from countries that do not tax CO2 emissions.
There are also problems with the operation of the “Koksara” in Lukavac, as well as the restriction of the Government of Serbia on the import of certain steel products.
Raven: It’s hard to tell
Economist Igor Gavran says that without detailed data on the structure, that is, the type of goods to which the drop in exports and imports is most related, it is difficult to conclude what the reasons could be.
“These few days of blockades of border crossings certainly had a certain effect, but they were also announced, so part of the traffic could be carried out in advance, just as part of the traffic could be carried out subsequently in parallel with the regular. Part of the reason for the drop in exports could be the decision of the Serbian Government to limit the import of certain steel products that we also produce, the stoppage in the work of the ‘Koksara’ in Lukavac as well, electricity trade (both export and import) can also largely determine the total exchange. I would also point out that the influence of CBAM, i.e. the tax for the export of certain products to the EU, because it is logical to expect that their export is higher in December than this year”, emphasized Gavran for “Nezavisne novine”.
According to him, most of the possible reasons for the drop in imports and exports are of a temporary nature, while the effects of CBAM, restrictions on exports to Serbia and the stoppage in “Koksara” can be temporary, and can last much longer.
“In January, there is usually a drop in demand in regular consumption due to higher consumption in December during the holidays. These are all possible reasons, but without more details I would not dare to claim which one was decisive,” concluded Gavran.
