Bosnia and Herzegovina currently exports upholstered furniture to the EU worth more than 100 million BAM, which is the fifth place among exporters in this market, and mattresses worth about 10 million euros, which shows that there is potential, due to its export orientation, the Center for Research in the Furniture Market from Milan /CSIL/ announced.
One of the main advantages of BiH, from a European perspective, is its favorable geographical position, proximity to large markets such as Germany and Italy, according to CSIL.
The center’s research showed that Germany is already among the key export destinations of BiH for both upholstered furniture and mattresses, and Italy is the third largest exporter of upholstered furniture, while neighboring markets and Nordic countries are also key destinations.
The key attractiveness factor is that qualified labor is available in BiH, as an increasingly valuable asset, while the fixed exchange rate in relation to the euro provides currency stability for international transactions, announced the Foreign Trade Chamber of BiH.
“This industry faces challenges. One limitation stems from the small size of the country, around three million inhabitants, which could somewhat limit the scope of the industry’s development. Although the industry includes medium and large players, both foreign and domestically owned, the general presence of large firms remains relatively limited,” the research results point out.
As an example of good business, CSIL cited the company “Export siti” from Prnjavor, which specializes in upholstered chairs, benches, armchairs and armchairs, and has the capacity to produce sofas and beds, while about 95 percent of their production is made to order.
“Almost all materials are of European origin and have certificates such as FSC, “Eko Teks” and “Blue Angel.”
From that center, they also mentioned the company “Moj san” from Kakanj, a mattress manufacturer that operates both on the export and domestic market, where it enjoys strong brand recognition, and “Sinkro” from Sarajevo, a bed manufacturer that was taken over in 2018 by the “Cotta group”, one of the largest European manufacturers of upholstered furniture.
“Even though this BiH industry is still relatively fragmented, companies like the ones mentioned show the capabilities and ambition necessary for competitiveness on the European market of upholstered furniture”, they stated from CSIL.
