From tomorrow, the 1st January 2013 abolition of customs duties on a number of products from the European Union (EU) that are imported into Bosnia and Herzegovina will go into effect.
The abolition of customs duties will affect second-hand passenger cars, certain types of processed fruits and vegetables, dairy products, some types of meat such as beef and veal, coffee, certain types of textiles, motor unleaded gasoline and certain oils and other products.
Head of Communications of the Indirect Taxation Authority (ITA) of BiH Ratko Kovačević said to FENA that those products had lower tax rate in 2012 which was around 3%, and in 2013 the tax will be completely abolished which is a result of the continuation of implementation of the Interim Agreement on trade and trade-related issues in the framework of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU that started in July 2008, and with it the gradual abolition of customs duties in five-year period.
For a large part of the products imported from the EU and have their origin from the EU, the customs were terminated in early 2009, however, for certain products, for which the negotiating team of BiH found that are of particular importance for BiH, an agreement was reached with the EU to gradually reduce tariffs for the period 2008-2013.
