ZAGREB, Dec 18 (Hina) - Croatia and Yugoslavia should sign a free trade agreement in Belgrade on December 23. The deal should go into force early next year, following ratification in both countries' parliaments.
ZAGREB, Dec 18 (Hina) - Croatia and Yugoslavia should sign a free
trade agreement in Belgrade on December 23. The deal should go into
force early next year, following ratification in both countries'
parliaments. #L#
The agreement envisages a transitional period until 2007 during
which tariffs for industrial products will be completely
rescinded. Concessions for farm produce have also been agreed on.
As soon as the deal becomes effective, the zero tariff rate will
apply to some 70 percent of the least sensitive industrial
products. Tariffs for the sensitive and the most sensitive
categories will be reduced in the transitional period.
To date Croatia has signed more than 30 free trade agreements, while
Yugoslavia has concluded them with Macedonia, Russia, Bosnia-
Herzegovina and Hungary. Yugoslavia has initialled the deals with
Croatia, Slovenia, and Albania, and will have done so with
Bulgaria, Romania and Moldova by year's end.
Croatian-Yugoslav trade in 2001 totalled US$186 million, a 35
percent increase as against the year before. Croatia's exports
stood at US$146.8 million and imports at US$39.2 million.
In this year's first eight months, trade amounted to US$138.7
million, 8.3 percent more than at the same time in 2001, with
Croatia's exports amounting to US$105 million and imports to
US$32.9 million.
(hina) ha sb