Serbia has extended its temporary reduction in fuel excise duties and prolonged restrictions on exports of crude oil and petroleum products as the government seeks to protect domestic availability.
The reduced excise rates will remain in force until 9 August. The applicable duty remains €0.52 per litre for leaded petrol, €0.49 per litre for unleaded petrol and €0.50 per litre for gas oils, including diesel.
The previous extension was due to expire on 2 August. By renewing the measure for another week, the government is continuing its short-cycle intervention in fuel taxation rather than establishing a longer-term adjustment.
The temporary prohibition on exports of crude oil and petroleum products has also been extended. Initially scheduled to end on 31 July, the restrictions will now remain in effect until 31 August.
The government presented both measures as safeguards against disruptions in international energy markets and the resulting risk of domestic shortages. The policy combines a tax concession intended to moderate retail prices with a trade restriction intended to retain physical products inside Serbia.
For the state budget, repeated excise reductions create a direct revenue cost. For fuel distributors and industrial consumers, the export restriction reduces the risk of scarcity but also limits the ability to respond freely to regional price signals.
The measures are especially relevant given the strategic importance of the Pančevo refinery, Serbia’s dependence on imported crude and the continuing need to manage petroleum inventories conservatively. Fuel-market intervention is therefore serving both a consumer-price function and a security-of-supply role.
The repeated short extensions leave companies with limited visibility over future tax rates and trade conditions. Refiners, wholesalers, transport operators and large industrial buyers must continue planning procurement around policy decisions that can change from week to week.
