North Macedonia Member profile
Status of notification in the reporting periods
2010-2012
2012-2014
2014-2016
2016-2018
2018-2020
2020-2022
2022-2024
2024-2026
Notification information
Types of restrictions
All biennial periods and all notifications
Top 10 HS chapters notified
All biennial periods and all notifications
Top 10 WTO justifications notified
All biennial periods and all notifications
Top 10 Non-WTO commitments notified
All biennial periods and all notifications
QR details
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Trade policy review
Latest Trade Policy Review (Report by the WTO Secretariat): WT/TPR/S/390/Rev.1
A. Import prohibitions and restrictions and import licensing
3.40.
The importation of certain goods (e.g. certain animals and birds, plants, fertilizers, narcotics, arms, and ozone-depleting substances) into North Macedonia is prohibited for reasons related mainly to the protection of national security, public morals, the environment, health, endangered species, and national treasures of artistic, historical or archaeological value.
3.41.
Certain categories of products are subject to import licensing. The Decision on Classification of Goods into Forms of Export and Import[75] contains nine annexes, listing products the import (and/or export) of which requires a (non-automatic) licence from different government departments. The product coverage of the import licensing regime provided for in this Decision did not change in recent years.[76] The import licensing provided for in this Decision applies to goods from all countries, is not intended to restrict the quantity or value of imports and is applied pursuant to the general exceptions in Articles XX and XXI of the GATT 1994.[77]
3.42.
Specifically, import licensing administered by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, and the Radiation Safety Directorate is aimed at protecting human, animal or plant life or health and/or conserving exhaustible natural resources. The Ministry of Economy also applies import licensing to regulate the import of gold or silver. The Ministry of Culture applies it to protect public morals or to protect national treasures of artistic, historic or archaeological value. The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Defence apply import licensing to protect essential security interests, or pursuant to obligations under the UN Charter.[78] The product coverage of the Decision is not subject to administrative discretion, and the system cannot be abolished without legislative approval.[79] The authorities confirmed that the licensing procedures apply as long as the need exists for North Macedonia to implement measures.
3.43.
Import licences must be issued within a maximum of 15 days from the submission of the application. There are no limitations as to the period of the year during which applications for licences may be made. When applying for an import licence, an importer must approach only one administrative organ in connection with the application. If the application meets the criteria, a licence is granted. Failure to meet the ordinary criteria is the only circumstance in which a licence application may be refused. In the event of refusal to issue a licence, the applicant has the right to appeal, in accordance with the Law on General Administrative Procedure. A licence is valid for three or six months from the date of issue. There is no penalty for the non-utilization of a licence or a portion thereof. Licences are not transferable between importers. No other conditions are attached to the issuance of a licence. There is a licensing administrative charge of MKD 600 for administrative expenses pursuant to the Law on Administrative Fees; no deposit or advance payment is required for licensing.[80] Applications for import licences can be submitted electronically through the EXIM Single Window System.
3.44.
The authorities maintain that the current import licensing regime is in full compliance with WTO rules.
B. Export prohibitions and restrictions
3.51.
The export of certain products from North Macedonia is prohibited or is subject to licensing for reasons of the protection of human, animal or plant life or health, the protection of public morals, or the protection of the environment. Products subject to prohibition or export licensing are identified in the annexes to the Decision on Classification of Goods into Forms of Export and Import.[83] The authorities indicated that there were no major changes to the list of products subject to export prohibition or licensing since the previous Review.[84]
3.52.
In March 2018, North Macedonia amended its export control law, by adopting a new list of dual-use goods and technologies (OG 131/2018) that transposes Annex 1 of the relevant EU regulation.[85]
WTO's environmental database (EDB)
The EDB contains environment-related measures that may qualify as QRs and therefore should be notified under the QR Decision.