Content Group 3 of North Macedonia

Multinational Trade Agreements

Active

1. The CEFTA: CEFTA consists of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro and Kosovo and Serbia. CEFTA came into force on July 26, 2007. The agreement helps increase trade between regional counterparts and fosters non-EU bilateral relations. The Central European (CE) countries accounted for approximately 11% of North Macedonia's total trade in 2017. Since coming into effect, total trade between North Macedonia and CE countries has grown by 65%.


2. EFTA-North Macedonia Free Trade Agreement (FTA): The bilateral FTA between North Macedonia and the EFTA entered into force in May 2002. EFTA consists of Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland. The agreement covers trade in goods and provides North Macedonia with export markets for its primary and secondary sectors. The EFTA countries accounted for only 0.8% of North Macedonia's total trade in 2017. However, trade between North Macedonia and EFTA countries increased by 85.4% between 2002 and 2017.


3. North Macedonia-EU: SAA and Economic Integration Agreement between North Macedonia and the EU entered into force in June 2001 (for goods trade) and April 2004 (for services trade). The agreements stimulate North Macedonia's already large export and import volumes with EU member countries, including Germany, Bulgaria and Greece. The EU is North Macedonia's largest trade partner, purchasing over 80% of North Macedonia's exports in 2019 and supplying just over 60% of imports.


4. North Macedonia-Turkey FTA: The bilateral FTA between North Macedonia and Turkey covers trade in goods and entered into force in September 2000. Turkey is North Macedonia's seventh-largest supplying market as of 2019, with imports from Turkey accounting for 4.8% of North Macedonia's total imports, of which machinery, mechanical appliances, nuclear reactors, boilers and parts made up the highest percentage. Total trade between Turkey and North Macedonia has grown by over 600% since the FTA entered into force.


5. North Macedonia-Ukraine FTA: The FTA covers trade in goods and entered into force in July 2001. Ukraine is North Macedonia's 22nd-largest supplying market as of 2019, with imports from the Ukraine accounting for 1.5% of North Macedonia's total imports, of which iron and steel made up the highest percentage.

Sources: WTO Regional Trade Agreements database, Fitch Solutions