The total foreign trade of Bosnia and Herzegovina from January to September 2025, compared to the same period in 2024, increased by 1.6 billion BAM or 5.60 percent.
At the presentation of the Foreign Trade Chamber of BiH today in Sarajevo, it was emphasized that exports in the observed period amounted to 12.9 billion BAM, and imports amounted to 22.6 billion BAM. When it comes to structure, Bosnia and Herzegovina exports electricity and insulated wire the most, and imports oil and passenger cars the most.
Exports grew by 5.60 percent (an increase of 686 million BAM), while imports grew by 4.11 percent (an increase of 892 million BAM). The growth in exports is most pronounced in sectors with traditional competitiveness – agro-industry and food, and metal industry with electrical industry, with increased external demand.
The metal industry with almost 44 percent and the wood industry with 21 percent participate the most in exports, while in addition to these two branches, agro and food have a significant impact on imports with a share of 18 percent.
It was stated that the foreign trade deficit increased to 9.65 billion BAM, which is an increase of 205 million BAM.
The coverage of imports by exports is 57.3 percent and is 1.43 percent higher than the previous year.
The leading trading partners of BiH are Croatia with a share of 18.38 percent, Serbia with 12.7 percent, Germany with 10.52 percent, Slovenia with 8.56 percent, Italy with 7.4 percent, Austria with 6.46 percent and Turkey with 4.07 percent.
It was emphasized that the growth of exports indicates the stabilization of export flows and a stronger orientation towards competitive products. More than two-thirds of exports from BiH go to the EU, which confirms high integration into the European market.
The President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ahmet Egrlić, stated that the growth in imports is the result of increased personal consumption, the continuation of infrastructure projects and higher demand for consumer goods. He recalled that structural problems remain, namely the dependence on imports of energy, food and raw materials.
Egrlić added that the dominance of lower value-added products, insufficient market diversification and the need for accelerated modernization of production remain key obstacles to a stronger export breakthrough.
”These structural problems require more intensive investment in sectors with higher added value, digitalization and upgrading of the technological equipment of the industry,” said Egrlić, Fena writes.
