June 3 (SeeNews) - Serbia has suffered a 189.5 million euro ($211.7 million) damage so far from the increase of Kosovo's import tariffs on all goods produced in Serbia and Bosnia to 100%, Serbian trade minister Rasim Ljajic said.
Data for six months since the introduction of the new higher tariffs on November 21 show that the exports of goods to Kosovo have declined by 189.5 million euro, while retail prices have risen by 5.3%, Ljajic said in a video file posted on the website of public broadcaster RTS on Saturday.
Last month, Ljajic said Serbia and Bosnia plan to introduce countermeasures against Kosovo if the government in Pristina does not revoke the higher tariffs imposed on imports from the two countries by July 1.
"If it was easy to introduce countermeasures, we would introduce them on November 22, but we have to think about several aspects of the implications of introducing those countermeasures, about the Serbs who live there," Ljajic said in the video file.
Serbia is ready to relaunch the negotiations on the normalisation of relations with Kosovo right after Pristina revokes the tax, Ljajic added.
On November 21, Kosovo's government decided to increase the import tariffs on all goods produced in Serbia and Bosnia to 100% from 10% set earlier that month in order to protect Kosovo's sovereignty and interests. The scope of the tax was expanded on December 29 to include products manufactured under international brands in the two neighbouring countries.
Kosovo, considered to be a potential candidate for EU membership by the European Commission, unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and has so far been recognised by more than half of the 193 UN member states. Serbia and Bosnia both do not recognise the independence of Kosovo.
($ = 0.89526 euro)