The Chamber is set to lead the NEC under the Private Sector Regional Integration Support Activity (PSRISA), implemented in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Branko Azeski, President of the Economic Chamber, will be the President of the National Export Council, and it will also include representatives of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, governmental institutions and bodies, state agencies in charge of export-related activities, and representatives of various export-oriented sectors/companies.

 

 

In the first NEC session today, Azeski pointed out that the objective of this body is to secure greater support for domestic exporting companies in their efforts to increase competitiveness and to build systemic approach to the promotion of exporting companies and products on regional and international markets.

 

 

 

“Our country is a small market with limited purchasing power, and the only way to develop our economy in the future is to build exporting capacity and companies that are prepared to compete and win in regional and global markets. I will illustrate the exceptionally unfavorable export structure we have.

First, our companies currently export only 370 products that are worth more than $1 million, and the top 25 export products account for 66% of the total exports of the country.
Second, 95% of Macedonian exports are destined for just 25 markets.
Third, only 450 companies out of a total of 3,500 exporting companies export at values over $1 million.

These are devastating figures that our country should and must turn as soon as possible. To that end, the Chamber and I have been advising publicly for a long time, and now we are also starting to actively work on the issue through specific measures and steps,” pointed out Azeski.
 

In the constitutive session, members opened a discussion on the draft RNM Export Promotion Strategy 2023-2027.

Under PSRISA, the Economic Chamber will continue to work on greater promotion of companies by organizing representations at international fairs, B2B-meetings, buyers’ missions, and other forms of promotion. 

Meanwhile, the Chamber is committed to completely strengthen its own capacity through the Exporters’ Club and the Council for Promotion of Industrial Production and Export, which are specialized bodies aimed at providing full support for exporting companies.

This press release was prepared with the approval of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). It was developed by the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia under the Private Sector Regional Integration Support Activity (PSRISA), implemented by the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia.

EDITOR'S NOTES

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