Exporting from
Kosova
2567€
FDI in the last 5 years
199
Foreign-owned businesses established in the last year
3044€
Euro export towards Europe
and the US in the last 5 years
1244.3€
Euro exports towards the
regional countries
Exports and imports significantly contribute to the GDP of most countries. With the ongoing liberalization of global commerce, an increasing number of Kosovas companies are venturing into the international market each year. Understanding your market and business focus is crucial before entering the international marketplace.
Thorough planning is key to success, as poor or no planning can lead to failure abroad and harm domestic operations. Financial institutions and investors require a well-developed export plan, emphasizing the importance of having one.
1. Export Plan Essentials: Organizational to Financial Details
Your export plan, an extension of your business plan, encompasses crucial elements like organizational details, product/services description, market overview, entry strategy, regulatory issues, risk factors, implementation plan, and financial details.
2. Market Research Strategies: Screening to Conclusions
Market research is indispensable, involving screening potential markets, assessing targets, and drawing conclusions through data analysis. Secondary research (using available data) and primary research (direct contact with potential customers) are valuable methods.
3. Export Marketing Strategy: Targeting, Promoting, Adapting
Developing an export marketing plan is crucial, focusing on target market characteristics, competitor strategies, promotional approaches, and product adaptation. The “Four P’s of Marketing” (Product, Price, Promotion, Place) are crucial, with an additional nine P’s for international marketing.
4. Pricing Dynamics: Demand, Competition, and Expenses
Pricing is critical, considering market demand, competition, and various expenses. Market entry strategies encompass direct exports, indirect exports, partnerships, and acquisitions/investments. Evaluating intermediaries (agents, representatives, trading houses, distributors) is vital for efficient market penetration.
Exporting involves navigating complex trade expressions, techniques, and requirements. Key considerations include understanding laws, documentation, tariffs, export-related services, product labeling, packaging, and payment options. International trade introduces specific terms, such as anti-dumping duty, counter-trade, export quotas, and GDP/GNP. INCO terms, like C&F, CIF, and FOB, establish common international shipping terminology.
Financial and insurance terms cover aspects like bid bonds, letters of credit, and export financing. Terms related to transportation, delivery, and packaging include bills of lading, certificates of origin, and packing lists. Legal terms, such as arbitration, copyright, patents, and trademarks, are crucial in international transactions. Partnering methods like co-marketing, joint ventures, and licensing also play a role in successful international trade.
Declaring Exports
Export Declaration Lodging:
Export declarations can be lodged at the customs office where the exporter is based or where the goods are packed or loaded for export.
Export Formalities Completion:
If export formalities are not completed at the initial customs office, a copy of the Single Administrative Document (SAD) is sent to the relevant office.
Exporter’s Responsibility:
The exporter, as declared on the export declaration, must ensure that the goods leave Kosova in the same condition as stated in the declaration. If the exporter is based outside Kosova according to the contract, the contracting party within Kosova is considered the exporter.
Customs Office of Exit:
The customs office of exit ensures that the exported goods match the declaration and supervises their departure.
In case of discrepancies or missing goods, appropriate actions are taken, and relevant offices are informed.
Transit Procedures and Excise Duty:
Transit procedures and excise duty arrangements are supervised by customs offices, and necessary endorsements are made on relevant documents.
Retrospective Export Declaration:
If goods leave Kosova without an export declaration, the exporter must lodge one retrospectively with evidence to the customs office where they are established.
Reporting Non-Exportation:
If exported goods do not leave Kosova, the exporter must inform the customs office promptly.
Amendment to Transport Contract:
Changes in transport contracts affecting the exit point from Kosova require approval from the customs office of exit or departure.
Required Documents
Two (2) documents are required for export transactions:
A customs goods declaration (See the specimen form in Annex 16 of Administrative Instruction No. 11/2009), and a commercial invoice.
In addition, a certificate of origin may be required by the country of importation and a certificate is required if strategic goods are involved.
By providing more accurate information on commercial invoices, exporters will be better able to arrange faster cargo clearances on outward cargo movements in Kosovo, and inward cargo clearances in the country where the goods are destined for importation.
A customs export declaration (SAD) may be lodged at any customs office in Kosovo, regardless from where the goods are to be exported. An export declaration may be lodged at any time, and Kosovo Customs may accept that the goods in question have been presented to Customs when a declaration is lodged.
Customs export declarations must normally be lodged either electronically or delivered in hard copy to a Kosovo Customs office during the days and hours appointed for business. However, Customs may, at the request of the exporter, and at the expense of the exporter, authorize the declaration to be lodged outside the appointed days and hours. Special service charges may be applied for this service outside normal office hours, and will be applied to recover the extra costs associated with delivery of the service.
Export Formalities Completion:
The customs export declaration must be completed using the codes referred to above in this Guide, under “Declaration Completion Instructions and Customs Procedures”. The codes to be used to enter data on the customs export declaration are provided in Annex 19 of “Administrative Instruction No. 11/2009 Laying down Provisions for the Implementation of the Customs Code”.
The exporter or spediteur must lodge an export declaration at any authorized customs office where they may be able or wish to present the goods.
The export declaration will then be used as a transit document, covering the movement of goods from terminal (where the export declaration has been lodged) to the border control post of exit. The new ASYCUDA World IT system used by Customs has a functionality called “export release” through which the customs officer at the border control post of exit will confirm that goods have left the territory of Kosova.
A more sophisticated approach is also supported by the ASYCUDA system, which consists in using the T1 procedure (and guaranty accounts), to cover the movement of goods (declared for export) from a customs terminal to the border control post of exit. In this case the T1 is generated automatically from the assessed export declaration and must be closed at the border control post exit. Even in this case, the “Export Release” operation is then performed by Customs.
