Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that Serbia is waiting for a response from the United States to its proposal on tariffs due to take effect on August 1.
“We submitted our proposal. We’re a small country, but these tariffs would create problems especially for our rubber and defense industries. Everything else is smaller, but still important for us,” Vučić told RTS.
He added that President Donald Trump wants to resolve issues with bigger trade partners first, pointing out that Serbia’s trade with the US is “just a drop in the ocean compared to billions traded with China and the EU.”
Trump announced 35% tariffs on Serbian goods — key exports include civilian weapons and ammunition.
Vučić also commented on the new 30-day extension of US sanctions on Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) but said he doubts the extensions will continue given the current US-Russia tensions.
NIS was sanctioned due to Gazprom Neft’s stake, which remains under Western sanctions for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Although Gazprom Neft transferred about 5% of its stake to Gazprom, it still holds a majority in NIS — Serbia’s only oil and gas producer.
