Distributing a product

Market shares

Retailers still prevail in the Croatian distribution landscape, there are more than 40,000 of them (mainly owned by independent individuals). However, an internationalisation and concentration tendency more and more occures in the sector these last years with the development of shopping centrers, department stores and the establishment of international chains of hypermarkets. The distribution sector contributes to 10.9% of Croatia's GDP.

Organizations in the retail sector

Wholesale trade association at the Croatian Employer Association (in Croatian only)

We can identify professional tradeshows on your sector.

Market access procedures

International Conventions

Member of World Trade Organisation
Party to the Kyoto protocol
Party to the Basel convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their disposal
Party to the Montreal protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer
Wassenaar arrangement on export controls for conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies

Main International economic cooperation

About 80% of foreign trade exchange of the Croatian economy runs under the conditions of free trade, i.e. the Republic of Croatia has signed agreements on free trade with 38 countries (EU27 members, EFTA members, countries of former Yugoslavia, Albania, Turkey, Moldova, and Macedonia).

Non tariff barriers

In order to integrate the WTO (entry: November, 2000), Croatia greatly liberalised its economy. For most goods, customs duties are nowadays the only protective measures. There are some exceptions, for instance, qualitative restriction measures as well as quotas authorised by the WTO rules (in case of a deficit in the balance of payments or in case of a strong threat to the local industry). These quotas (for farm products, above all) are assigned by open tendering. The import of certain goods needs a license, which is delivered by the Ministry of Economy. Finally, the import of second-hand motorcars being more than 7 years old is forbidden in Croatia.
Croatia now uses a single document for customs declarations, on the model of the Single Administrative Document of the European Union (also used for the transit procedures in the country).

Customs duties and taxes on imports

The average tariff for industrial goods is about 3%.

Customs classification

Croatia applies the Harmonized Customs System in line with the EU regulations.

Import procedures

Croatia applies the Harmonized Customs System. The customs duties are calculated Ad valorem on the CIF value.

A Croatian importer is responsible for providing the required import documentation, which consists of common trade, transport, and customs documents, as well as certificates required for quality control and licenses where appropriate. The single Administrative Document (SAD) that is used by EU and most other countries is the key customs document in Croatia as well.

Croatia is member of the CEFTA (Central European Free trade Association) and of WTO. It signed agreements of free trade with the countries of the EU, countries of CEFTA, countries of EFTA, and Turkey.

For further information

Croatian Customs Administration

We can indicate you which are the customs duties applied to your product.

Find out the local taxes that apply to your product.

Organizing goods transport

Main useful means of transport

Approx. half of all transported goods in Croatia is done by roads. Since Croatia is a maritime country the second largest fraction of goods is transported by sea (almost 30% of all transported goods). The rest of approx. 20% of transported goods is more or less equally divided by railway and pipelines.

The transport share of GDP is 8.3% and in total employment around 7.3%.

Ports

Port of Rijeka
Port of Ploce

Airports

Zagreb airport
Split airport
Pula airport
Rijeka airport
Dubrovnik airport

Sea transport organizations

Directorate for Maritime Traffic, Maritime Domain and Ports

Air transport organizations

Croatian civil aviation authority
Directorate for Air Traffic at the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure

Road transport organizations

 Directorate for Road Traffic at the Ministry of the Sea, Traffic and Infrastructure

Rail transport organizations

Directorate for Railway Traffic at the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure

Get a ballpark figure for transportation costs for your product in this country through a shipping estimate.

Identifying a supplier

Type of production

The industrial sector contributes approximately 20% of GDP. Manufacturing employs nearly 25% of the workforce. In terms of the value added, leaders are manufacturing of food and beverages, electricity, gas and water supply; manufacturing of chemicals and chemical products; refined petroleum products and fabricated metal products. Traditionally, Croatia is also strong in shipbuilding, construction industry and tobacco products.

Business directories

Official companies directories
WLW business
CroatiaBiz

Manufacturers associations of the main industries

Industrial Federations

Trade Agencies and their representations abroad

Croatian Chamber of Economy

Enterprises federation

Croatian association of Employers (in Croatian only)

Standards

National standards organizations

Croatian Standards Institute
State Office for Metrology

Integration in the international standards network

Croatian Accreditation Agency is a full-member of European Co-operation for Accreditation (EA) and associate member of International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). The rules of accreditation are in line with European standards 45000 and international standards 17000 according to the rules and guidelines of EA, ILAC and IAF.

 

Croatian Standards Institute is a member of: International Organisation for Standardization (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), European Committee for Standardization (CEN), European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC), European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).

Classification of standards

Accreditation is done according to the international (ISO) and European (EN) standards that are recognized as Croatian (HRN) ones.

Online consultation of standards

Catalogue of Croatian Standards

Certification organizations

Croatian Accreditation Agency
State Office for Metrology

Find out the standards and labelling requirements that apply to your products.

Intellectual Property

National organizations

The body responsible for industrial property is the State Office for Intellectual Property.
Croatia signed the Agreement of Paris concerning the protection of industrial property and the agreement which establishes the World Intellectual property Organization (WIPO). They are a part of the Agreement of Madrid, on the international register of the trademarks.