Skopje, 19 February 2026 (MIA) – We are very close to finalizing an agreement, and the joint statement confirms this. With the few countries that the United States has already signed agreements with, the process was similar, first there was a joint statement, followed by the signing of an agreement, which from international legal perspective requires additional domestic procedures. For now, I can say that the highest tariff will be 15 percent, which is lower than in many countries, not only globally but also in the region, and for several key products and industries, tariffs will be below 15 percent, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski said Thursday.

Speaking ahead of the Macedonian-Slovak Business Forum, Mucunski said that Macedonia already exports some products to the US with tariffs under 15 percent, indicating that it is moving in the right direction.

He added that the negotiations are complex, challenging and confidential, which is why many details cannot be disclosed at this time.

“We must protect confidentiality. A public document will be released, which will likely need to go through parliamentary procedures, and only then will everyone see what it specifically means for us. But the fact that we already have products exported to the US with tariffs below 15 percent shows that we are moving in the right direction. I consider this a collective success of the Government, but the fact is that the US is currently negotiating on this issue with the entire world. The fact that they decided to give us priority, as a smaller country that is not particularly significant for the US market economically, should be seen realistically; it is a direct reflection of the meaning of this special relationship and strategic partnership with Washington. I hope for a positive outcome. The joint statement is a step toward that, and I believe it will bring concrete benefits for business representatives, and ultimately for our economy and all citizens,” Mucunski said while responding to journalists’ questions.

He reminded that a large number of countries in the region still face US tariffs significantly exceeding 15 percent.

“The US wants to boost its exports, and we want to boost ours. Their measures aim to strengthen their global market position. From what we’ve seen recently, reaching this agreement has not harmed most of our companies exporting to the US, and we stay in close contact with them. There are challenges, but exports remain stable. I firmly believe there is potential to introduce products that haven’t yet reached the US market, provided we focus on effective export promotion,” Mucunski said.

According to Mucunski, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade led the negotiations with the US, but Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski also helped greatly through his contacts in Washington. Many other institutions contributed as well, including the Ministries of Finance, Digital Transformation, Agriculture, Defense, the Customs Administration, and the Health Insurance Fund.

Photo: MIA