INTERVIEW
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BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA IS A PART OF THE REGIONAL MARKET AHMET EGRLIĆ
President of the Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The common regional market, which the Western Balkan leaders agreed to form at their meeting in Sofia last year and which is supported by the EU, is a springboard for closer integration between the region with the EU Single Market and is crucial for the region and its privileged relationship
n the first six months of this year, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s external trade amounted to 8.38 billion euros, which is 1.6 billion euros or 23.62% more than in the same period in 2020. We talked with the President of the Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ahmet Egrlić, about the recovery of the Bosnian economy and the country’s cooperation with Serbia and the region.
Focus
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 2021
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The year 2020 was marked by the pandemic-induced crisis that affected the economies of all regional countries. How is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s economy recovering this year? Our economy is currently in a recovery phase and we cannot fully predict its course as it is impossible to predict whether the pandemic will contin-
ue and the global vaccination rate. In 2020, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s economy recorded a 6.5% decline. In the period from January to June
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA’S EXPORT AMOUNTED TO KM 6,654,279,000, A 30.53% OR KM 1.55 BILLION INCREASE 2021, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s total foreign trade amounted to KM 16,433,225,000, which is a 23.62% or KM 3.14 billion increase compared to the same period last year. The country’s ex-
port amounted to KM 6,654,279,000, a 30.53% or KM 1.55 billion increase. Imports amounted to KM 9,778,946,000, which is 19.33% or KM 1.58 billion higher. The total external trade balance increased by 0.88% and amounts to -3,124,666,000 KM. The export to import ratio went up by 9.39% and stood at 68%. Considering that we took last year as the basis for comparison, when our industrial production began to decline, as well as the decline in exports to the EU market caused by the uncertainty of the US-China trade war, stagnation of the German economy, violation of the CEFTA agreement by Kosovo, non-implementation of free trade agreements that we had with Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina's external trade has still recorded an increase. Which economic sectors were most affected?
