Serbia’s government has announced that it has adopted a temporary import quota system for cement and certain steel products for a six-month period effective from January 1 to June 30, 2026, according to media reports. The temporary import quotas are intended to support market stability in strategic sectors by managing the volume of imports of key construction and industrial materials during the first half of 2026.
The measure applies to five product groups, including Portland cement, hot rolled and cold rolled steel products, ribbed concrete reinforcing steel, hot rolled wire rod, and ribbed reinforcing bars. The total combined quota volume exceeds 420,000 mt. In particular, the largest share is allocated to cement with 250,350 mt, while the quota volume for steel products is over 169,650 mt.
The temporary quota regime will run for six months, divided into two periods: January 1 to March 31, 2026, and April 1 to June 30, 2026. Unused quota volumes from the first quarter may be carried over into the second quarter.
Quota allocation and duty on excess imports
Quotas will be allocated based on historical import shares over the past five years and distributed among countries and customs territories accordingly. Countries expected to receive the largest allocations include the EU countries, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and other regional partners. Allocation of quota slots will follow a first-come, first-served principle. Any imports exceeding the quota thresholds for the relevant categories will be subject to an additional 50 percent customs duty.
Serbia’s Customs Administration will be responsible for enforcing and monitoring the quota system, and utilization data will be reported monthly to the Ministry of Internal and Foreign Trade.