Serbian first-quarter foreign trade

Serbian imports of leather and leather products in the January to March period were worth E60.3 million, as against E74.1 million in the same period in 2008.

Leather and leather products accounted for 3.1% of total Serbian exports in the first quarter of this year, as compared with 2.6% in the same period last year, with these commodity types accounting for 2.2% of total imports, as against 2% of imports in the same period in 2008.Statistics Serbia reports that the production of leather and leather products in Serbia in March was 17.2% lower than in March last year. In comparison, industrial output in Serbia in March was 14.2% lower year-on-year.

A geographical breakdown of leather and leathergoods production in Serbia in March reveals that production in Central Serbia fell by 20.2% year-on-year, while production in Vojvodina fell by 14.9%.

Statistics Serbia reports that the average gross monthly wage in Serbia's leather industry in the first quarter of this year was US$291, compared with the average wage in Serbia of US$590).