Trade characteristics of the Western Balkans’ agriculture

Abstract

Western Balkans countries can be characterized by their shared aim, the quickest possible accession to the European Union (EU), to their major trade partner. Autonomous trade preferences granted by the EU were renewed until 2020 and they provide free trade to these countries for most of their products. This paper gives an overview of the Western Balkans’ agricultural performance, followed by a detailed trade analysis. It identifies major export products and the concentration of trade. Agricultural trade will be separated into regional and EU markets to reveal differences and similarities in the trade patterns.