Business in Macedonia, Skopje

The objectives of the subject “International Trade and Business in” Macedonia” are the following:

1. To analyse the Macedonian Economy and Foreign Trade (Import, Export, FDI)
2. To know the business opportunities in the Macedonian Market
3. To analyse the trade relations of Macedonia with the country of the student
4. To know the Macedonian Free Trade Agreements
5. To develop a business plan for the Macedonian Market

Macedonian Preferential Access and Free Trade Agreements

1. Macedonia and the Orthodox Economic Area
2. Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA)
3. Central European Initiative (CEI)
4. Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)
5. Organisation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)
6. Macedonia-European Union
   1. Stabilisation and Accession Agreement
   2. European Union-Western Balkans
   3. European Union Enlargement
7. Macedonia-EFTA States Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
8. Macedonia-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
9. Macedonia-Turkey Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
10. United Kingdom-Macedonia Free Trade and Economic Integration Agreement

Trade Facilitation Programs

1. World Trade Organisation (WTO)
   1. WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
   2. WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)
   3. WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)
   4. WTO Agreement on Preshipment Inspection (PSI)
   5. WTO Agreement on Safeguards (SG)
   6. WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)
2. International Bureau of Containers and Intermodal Transport (BIC)
3. International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO, Chicago Convention)
4. International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
   1. International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC)
   2. Convention Relating to Temporary Admission (Istanbul Convention)
5. Customs Convention on Containers (CCC, UN) - not a member
6. Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF)
7. International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods (UNECE)
8. International Road Transport Union (IRU)
   1. TIR Convention
   2. Guidelines on Safe Load Securing for Road Transport
9. International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
10. Is not a member of the World Customs Organisation (WCO)
    1. Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC)

European Trade and Economic Organisations

1. Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
2. Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

Global Organisations

1. United Nations (UN)
   1. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
   2. International Trade Centre (INTRACEN)
   3. World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
2. World Bank (WB)
3. World Trade Organisation (WTO)
4. International Monetary Fund (IMF)

The Republic of Macedonia

1. Macedonian Capital: Skopje
2. Official Language of Macedonia: Macedonian
3. Macedonian Area: 25,713 square kilometres
4. Macedonian Population: 2.1 million people
5. Type of Government: Parliamentary Republic
6. Macedonia is a landlocked country
7. Borders of Macedonia: Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo and Serbia
8. Independence of Macedonia: 1992 (Yugoslavia)

Religion in Macedonia: Orthodoxy (Christianity).

1. Islam: 25%

Macedonia belongs to the Orthodox Economic Area

Macedonian Economy.

1. The Republic of Macedonia has experienced one of the highest economic growth rates in Europe with an average of 4% (even during the political crisis) making it comparable to countries like Romania or Poland
2. Greece is one of the main investors in Macedonia
3. Macedonian GDP (nominal): 10,198 million dollars
   1. Agriculture: 10%
   2. Industry: 25%
   3. Services: 65%
4. GDP per capita of Macedonia: 4,461 dollars
5. Currency of Macedonia: Macedonian Denar
6. Macedonia is an official candidate country for access to the European Union
7. Macedonia has demonstrated in the recent years a very strong commitment to the economic reforms, the principles of free trade and regional integration
8. Macedonia has the best Index of Economic Freedom in the region
9. Top Macedonian Industries: foods, beverages, textiles, chemical products, iron, steel, cement, energy, pharmaceutical products

Macedonian Foreign Trade.

1. The main Macedonian Exports are foods, beverages, tobacco, textiles, manufactures, iron, steel, automotive parts, buses
2. Top Macedonian exports destinations: Germany (33%), Kosovo, Bulgaria, Greece 4.5%
3. The main Macedonian Imports are machinery and equipment, cars, chemical products, fuels, food products
4. The main suppliers of Macedonia are Germany (16%), the United Kingdom, Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey