Serbian products slowly making their way to central Kosovo, buyers and sellers disappointed by the quantity

Almost a month after Pristina decided to allow imports of Serbian goods through the Merdare crossing with manual inspection, products from Serbia are barely reaching predominantly Serbian areas. Residents of central Kosovo, whom the Kosovo Online portal team spoke to, said they had seen a few Serbian products in some stores, but only a limited number of items. Sellers hope that imports will soon be allowed through other crossings, making it easier for goods to reach customers.

Since October 7, when Pristina replaced its "security measure" on Serbian imports with a new rule allowing Serbian goods to enter only through Merdare with enhanced inspections, the situation hasn't changed much. Apart from long queues at the crossing and several hours of waiting for trucks to deliver goods, store shelves are still largely stocked with products from the region, with only an occasional Serbian item here and there.

Residents say they have noticed a small number of Serbian products in the markets, while some have not seen any Serbian goods at all.

Zagorka Zdravkovic notes that she has seen a small amount of dairy products from Serbia.

"Serbian goods have started arriving in Kosovo, but in very limited quantities. There is only a small selection here, though they say there is more in Mitrovica. I have seen some dairy products, like milk and cream, but only a few items," Zdravkovic said.

Jagoda mentions that some "small items" have arrived in the local market.

"There are candies, 'Medeno Srce' (Honey Heart), and Galeb chocolate from 'Pionir'. I haven't noticed anything else. No oil, no detergent. There are Macedonian products from Pekabesko, but Serbian ones are missing," Jagoda said.

Mileva Vucic is optimistic that the situation with goods is better than it was before October 7.

"There is a slight improvement, though nothing has reached us yet. Kosovo is big, it takes time to reach everywhere, but it is still better," Vucic said.

"I honestly haven’t seen any Serbian products in the store where I shop, but I can’t speak for others," Milijana Milovanovic said.

Olivera Maksimovic, a salesperson at Jugomarket, says they hope goods will soon be allowed through other crossings as well, so suppliers can bring in larger quantities. So far, she noted, very few Serbian products have reached the market where she works.

"Currently, there are only a few Serbian products, as goods are only permitted to enter through one crossing. We’re starting to see a few items, and we hope for more. Customers seem pleased even with the smaller quantities available. We hve received ketchup, 'Pionir' products, 'Medeno Srce,' cookie boxes, and snacks. We are still waiting for cured meats and dairy products; suppliers haven’t brought those yet," Maksimovic said.

Sasa Sekulic, President of the Association of Serbian Entrepreneurs from Gracanica, told Kosovo Online that he had noticed a small quantity of confectionery and household cleaning products had arrived.

"Since the decision was changed, goods have started to arrive. We see a few items in stores, but not in the volume we would expect. We all know the reason, it is because goods are only allowed to enter through one crossing, Merdare," he said.

Sekulic believes imports should be allowed through all crossings and that it is only a matter of time before that happens.

"It’s a performance by Pristina that we are all used to. We expect that soon, imports will be allowed at all crossings," Sekulic said.