Čadež: A New Chapter in Cooperation Between the Chambers of Commerce and Companies of Serbia and China

"We are opening a new chapter of more intensive and improved cooperation, not only between the chambers of commerce of Serbia and the People's Republic of China but also between our member companies. This cooperation will be guided by new technologies and innovations in the future. At a time when China is experiencing global economic growth, it is a privilege to strengthen our ties, particularly in economic, trade, and investment cooperation," said Marko Čadež, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (CCIS), at the opening of the Business Forum. The forum gathered over 200 representatives of Serbian and Chinese companies and institutions at the Chamber today.

Foreign trade cooperation between Serbia and China continues to grow, as evidenced by the fact that Serbian exports have increased 134 times over the past decade. The trade exchange of goods and services between the two countries is valued at $8.3 billion. China is Serbia’s largest import partner and the third-largest export destination for Serbian products worldwide. "Over the past five years, we have recorded an annual export growth of over 50%," Čadež stated.
As he highlighted, the Business Forum, organized as part of the visit of China's state-business delegation to Serbia, presents an excellent opportunity to discuss concrete cooperation and business projects, such as Expo 2027 and the Beijing Supply Chain Fair, where Serbian companies will participate.
"Our goal is to accelerate the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement, resolve administrative procedures together, and enable our companies to trade more easily. We want to have a much stronger presence in China and to welcome even more Chinese companies here in Serbia," Čadež emphasized.

Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), who is leading the Chinese delegation in Serbia, announced that the third Supply Chain Fair will take place in July. He emphasized that Serbia and its companies have a strong economic foundation to participate in this prestigious event. "It would be best to select the most representative companies capable of integrating into supply chains. The fair will host companies from sectors such as clean energy, smart vehicles, green agriculture, information technology, and artificial intelligence," Ren stated, inviting Serbian companies to organize their own pavilion at the fair.
Economic cooperation between Serbia and China is expanding, continuously achieving new successes, as demonstrated by the fact that China has become Serbia's second most important economic partner, noted the Chinese Ambassador to Serbia, Li Ming. The Ambassador highlighted that in 2024, China was the largest single foreign investor in Serbia, with investments exceeding one billion euros. "Chinese companies operating in Serbia employ around 27,000 local workers," Li added. He emphasized that the 70-year-long friendship between the two nations is, in fact, a "steel friendship" and that China's "Belt and Road" initiative and Serbia’s "Leap into the Future" strategy are well aligned in terms of economic development and cooperation.

An increasing number of Chinese companies are choosing to establish production in Serbia, recognizing the advantages of the Free Trade Agreement between Serbia and China, stated Minister of Economy, Adrijana Mesarović. She emphasized that companies have a unique opportunity to export their products under the "Made in Serbia" brand to China. "Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our government and producers, this brand is already recognized in China as a symbol of quality and reliability," she added.
During the forum, a Cooperation Agreement on Arbitration was signed by CCIS Secretary-General Predrag Petrović and Vice President of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, Xie Changqing.

Dušan Borovčanin, Director of Expo 2027, presented the specialized exhibition to Chinese partners, reminding them that more than 80 countries, including China, have already confirmed their participation.

As part of the forum, around 380 business meetings were held between representatives of companies from both countries across various sectors, including transport and logistics, IT and e-commerce, as well as pharmaceuticals and medical industries.