Thewesternbalkans.
According to a statement of the White House from 12 of February, United States of America and the Republic of North Macedonia have reached a Framework for an Agreement on “Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade”.
According to the statement, North Macedonia will eliminate customs duties for all US industrial and agricultural goods. On the other hand, the United States will maintain at 15 per cent the reciprocal tariffs, but will also identify products to receive a zero per cent reciprocal tariff rate.
The two countries also noted their intention to facilitate and enhance commercial ties.
The statement also says that North Macedonia will commence the purchase of US liquefied natural gas upon completion of the new gas interconnector with Grece.
The Mutual Statement of both countries reveals more details as follow:
- The United States and North Macedonia will work to address U.S. concerns with non-tariff barriers imposed by North Macedonia that affect bilateral trade in priority areas.
- The United States and North Macedonia commit to hold consultations to address and prevent barriers to U.S. agricultural products in the Macedonian market.
- The United States and North Macedonia have committed to strengthen economic and national security cooperation to enhance supply chain resilience and innovation through complementary actions to address non-market policies of other countries, as well as to combat duty evasion and cooperate on investment reviews and export controls. This commitment includes cooperating to ensure that international procurement obligations benefit only those countries that have taken on the same commitments.
- The United States and North Macedonia note their intention to facilitate and enhance commercial ties.
- On energy sector opportunities, the United States and North Macedonia take note of the construction of an important new gas interconnector between North Macedonia and Greece, which will allow North Macedonia to enhance energy security and diversify energy sources, including through purchases of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG).
- North Macedonia commits to adopt and maintain high levels of environmental protections and to effectively enforce its environmental laws.
- The United States and North Macedonia will discuss commitments on intellectual property protection and enforcement, including on geographical indications.
- The United States and North Macedonia will engage to address labour issues.
- The United States and North Macedonia recognize the importance of high-standard commitments on digital trade in order to foster an open and competitive digital economy. North Macedonia has committed not to impose a digital service tax and to support adoption of a permanent moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions at the World Trade Organization (WTO).
- The United States and North Macedonia recognize the importance of facilitating trade in services. North Macedonia reaffirms its commitment to the WTO Joint Initiative on Services Domestic Regulation.
Ambassador Jamieson Greer, the United States Trade Representative, said after the announcement of the framework agreement that “President Trump’s trade agenda is deepening our transatlantic ties with a key partner in the Balkan region”.
Foreign Minister of North Macedonia Timčo Mucunski described the agreement as an important and significant step forward in economic cooperation with the United States, of great importance to the Macedonian economy and one from which Macedonian companies will benefit.
“It is important to be precise: the US will retain a reciprocal tariff of 15 percent on products originating from our country, while at the same time – and this is the essence of the success – products will be identified that will have up to zero percent reciprocal tariffs. In other words, for some key industries and products, tariffs will be reduced to zero,” Mucunski said,
Comments: North Macedonia eliminated all import duties on U.S. goods on July 1, 2025. The decision came amidst trade negotiations in an effort to secure more favorable terms than the 33 percent tariffs on imports from North Macedonia announced by the Trump administration in April 2025. An August 2025 executive order reduced North Macedonia’s tariff rate from 33 percent to 15 percent.
Although the U.S. offers some zero-tariff treatment, North Macedonia is set to eliminate all tariffs on U.S. goods, while the U.S. retains a ceiling of 15% tariffs on many Macedonian exports. This asymmetry could limit the competitiveness of North Macedonian goods relative to U.S. goods in that market unless more products are added to the zero-tariff list.
The framework does offer benefits — especially in market access and strategic cooperation — but its immediate economic profit for North Macedonia is modest unless further tariff liberalization occurs and non-tariff issues are resolved.
The label “Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade” is unusual for such a framework of an agreement. For the Minister Mucunski the essence of the success is that “products will be identified that will have up to zero percent reciprocal tariffs”. Such inequality in economic relations raises doubts that it may be linked to some political promises. This is a framework for a future agreement. It is not a full-fledged FTA and it is more of a geostrategic and political signal.
