Serbia’s building materials sector exports stood at some $35 mln (28.5 mln euro) for 2003 and imports were nearly $45 mln (36.7 mln euro), according to data of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS). Producers of bricks and tiles were the leading exporters with $22.5 mln (18..3 mln euro) for 2003, while quarries and prefabricate branches registered the highest imports of $30 mln (24.5 mln euro). The largest exporters of construction materials were Toza Markovic, with some $6.0 mln (4.9 mln euro), Potisje Kanjiza with $5.5 mln (4.5 mln euro), Polet with $2.8 mln (2.3 mln euro) and Beocin cement plant with $1.7 mln (1.4 mln euro). Local limestone mine and calcium carbonate filling plant Vencac was the largest exporter in the branch with $228,880 (186,600 euro) from the total $587,989 (479,200 euro).
The largest importers were apparently cement plants Beocin, Kosjeric and Novi Popovac. Major priorities to the sector for 2004 are creating favourable conditions for exports, securing financing for new housing starts, curbing shadow employment and unfair competition and initiatives for the reduction of the tax burden, chairman of the sectoral association Ljubodrag Knezevic said.
