Business news from Ukraine

Business news from Ukraine

Economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina – overview from Relocation

Relocation project has analyzed economic indicators of Bosnia and Herzegovina. For convenience, the data are presented in blocks by topics and areas.

1. GDP growth and economic development rates

  • The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts real GDP growth of 2.8% in 2025.
  • The World Bank expects 2.7 % growth in 2025 and a further acceleration to 3.1 % in 2026.
  • Analysts at wiiw also forecast 2.4% growth for 2025, based on a recovery in domestic consumption and demand from the EU.
  • The Western Balkan regions as a whole are projected to grow ≈3.2 %, but growth could be below average for individual countries, including Bosnia.

2. Nominal GDP and per capita income

  • According to Wikipedia, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s nominal GDP at the end of 2025 is expected to be ≈ $29.86 billion and per capita income is expected to be about $8,670.

3- Inflation and price dynamics

  • According to the IMF, average inflation is ≈ 3.8% in 2025 (rising due to higher food prices) with a subsequent decline to 2% in the medium term.
  • Trading Economics records a higher level: 4.8% in July 2025, the highest since June 2023.
  • WIIW estimates average annual inflation at 2.5 %, although it further notes that it exceeded 3 % in the first months of 2025.

4. Public debt and fiscal sustainability

  • Public debt rises from 29 % to 29.9 % of GDP between 2024 and 2025, according to the IMF.
  • According to Wikipedia, the public debt level is only 16.9 % of GDP at the end of 2024 – perhaps only external debt is taken into account.

5. Currency stability and reserves

  • The country’s currency is the convertible mark (BAM), pegged to the euro under a currency board (currency board), which ensures exchange rate stability.
  • Foreign exchange reserves amounted to about €9 billion, equivalent to ~6.9 months of imports, as estimated by the IMF.

6. Unemployment and labor market

  • The unemployment rate by the end of 2024 was 11.7%.
  • Wikipedia gives the same value: 11.7% (December 2024) and 27.3% youth.

7. Population and demography

  • According to Wikipedia, the population as of April 7, 2025 is ≈ 3.14 million.
  • IMF indicates a value of 3.445 million, without specifying the date.
  • Overall, the population shows a moderate decline (partly due to migration and natural decline), although no significant demographic data for 2025 is provided.

8. Other factors and risks

  • Strong minimum wage growth (increase of over 60%) in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) supports purchasing power but may cause inflationary pressures.
  • Services sector and domestic consumption are the main drivers of growth (about 65% of GDP).
  • Annual current account deficit is expected at 4-4.1% of GDP, worsened by lower exports and higher imports.
  • International Monetary Fund forecast: general fiscal sustainability with moderate growth of debt and reserves.
  • There are recommendations for structural reforms (export-oriented model, investment, labor market reforms).

Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a state in Southeastern Europe, located on the Balkan Peninsula. The capital is Sarajevo. The population is estimated at about 3.2 million (2025).

The country has a complex state structure: it consists of two autonomous entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska, as well as the Brcko District. The country is a candidate for accession to the European Union (since 2016).

http://relocation.com.ua/bosnia-and-herzegovinas-economy-an-overview-from-relocation/

 

Ukraine is undisputed leader in terms of sunflower oil supplies to EU

According to the European Commission, from July 1, 2024 to February 2, 2025, the European Union countries imported about 1.24 million tons of sunflower oil. This is less than in the same period last year (1.51 million tons), but higher than in the 2022/23 season (1.13 million tons). The pace of imports has slowed in recent weeks: while in December up to 59,000 tons were imported weekly, in early February – less than 25,000 tons per week.

Ukraine remains the largest supplier of sunflower oil to the EU, providing 94% of imports (1.17 million tons). However, this is lower than the previous year’s figure (1.40 million tons) due to reduced raw material supplies, slower processing and limited export potential.

Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are the second and third largest suppliers of sunflower oil to the EU with market shares of 3% and almost 1% respectively. However, their export volumes also declined compared to the previous year.

The decline in supplies from Ukraine, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina is prompting the EU to seek new sunflower oil suppliers to compensate for the deficit and stabilize the market.

Source – TG channel Serbian Economist

 

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Bosnia and Herzegovina opens its market for import of Ukrainian poultry meat products

Bosnia and Herzegovina has opened its market for imports of Ukrainian poultry meat products of mechanical deboning, the press service of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection (Gosprodpotrebsluzhba) has reported.

“It is very important during the war to support Ukrainian exporters, to create new opportunities for them, because this is support for the economy of our state. Therefore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with Gosprodpotrebbsluzhba constantly negotiate with foreign partners and step by step open new foreign markets for Ukrainian producers “, – said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba.

“Ukrainian entrepreneur needs any support from the state, which is very important during the war. And the State Consumer Service together with the team of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continue to open the international trade arena for our manufacturer. There are still about 63 countries in the work in almost 200 directions”, – emphasized the head of the department Serhiy Tkachuk.

The agreed form of veterinary certificate of the specified category of products is published on the official web portal of the State Consumer Service of Ukraine in the section “International Cooperation” – “Veterinary and Safety” – “Certificates for export from Ukraine”.

The agency reminded that the first step for exporting Ukrainian products of animal origin is a request of the market operator to the territorial body of the State Food and Consumer Service at the place of location.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion agreed 41 forms of international veterinary certificates for the export of objects of state veterinary and sanitary control and supervision from Ukraine, that is, 41 markets are open for the export of Ukrainian products, said the State Food and Consumer Service.

 

 

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