Prishtina, January 22, 2026 – The American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo today hosted the Director General of Kosovo Customs, Agron Llugaliu, for a meeting with its members to discuss the institution’s 2026 work plan and ways to further strengthen cooperation between the two institutions.

Opening the discussion, the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo, Arian Zeka, welcomed the Director General and commended the strong partnership between AmCham Kosovo and Kosovo Customs. He praised the continuous reform efforts undertaken by Kosovo Customs over the years, noting that these reforms have positioned the institution as one of the most advanced and credible customs administrations in the Western Balkans.

Director General Agron Llugaliu outlined the ongoing objectives of Kosovo Customs to facilitate trade and support the private sector in achieving its business goals within the existing legal framework. He emphasized that all key performance indicators for 2025 have shown improvement compared to previous years and highlighted further enhancements in service delivery, including the increase in the number of customs officers.

Addressing trade facilitation measures, Llugaliu spoke about the inauguration of a new scanner at the Merdare border crossing, donated by the United States of America, as well as additional scanners expected to become operational throughout the year. He also underscored the expansion of the Vërmicë customs terminal as one of the most important ongoing infrastructure projects, given that the largest volume of Kosovo’s trade flows is processed through this border crossing.

With regard to the Government of the Republic of Kosovo’s decision to apply zero customs tariffs on goods of U.S. origin, the Director General noted that Kosovo Customs is currently reviewing international best practices for determining rules of origin. He added that technical assistance in this area is being provided by the U.S. Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP).

The meeting also addressed specific challenges faced by private sector companies, for which solutions were pledged within the limits of the legal framework. Both sides emphasized the importance of maintaining open, constructive, and honest public–private dialogue as a key pillar for improving the business environment and trade facilitation in Kosovo.