According to Kosovo Customs, Kosovo exports rose by €50 million ($58.9 million)—a 45 percent increase—compared to the same quarter last year. The largest contributor to these exports came from wood processing companies, thanks in part to USAID assistance. Over the course of five years, USAID’s EMPOWER Private Sector activity helped local wood processing companies upgrade their technologies and implement the latest production processes. USAID also helped link Kosovo to global wood industry markets by supporting Kosovo businesses’ participation in international industry trade fairs and international B2B events with both foreign and Kosovo diaspora buyers.
Kosovo wood processing companies, like Elnor and Shehu, have contributed to substantial improvements in the quality of Kosovo-made products, and the subsequent growth in domestic and export sales by €69.6 million ($82 million) over the last five years. At the start of USAID’s intervention, Elnor was sending only two trucks of wooden furniture to Europe per year. With USAID’s support, Elnor increased that to four trucks per month —an increase of 2,300 percent. Wooden furniture, and other wooden products, from Kosovo can be found on websites like amazon.de. Shehu, which specializes in custom wooden stairs, has flourished with the increased demand for hand-crafted, high-quality wooden goods abroad. With USAID’s support, it is not only exporting its custom products, but has also established a private vocational training center to train the next generation in the skills necessary to work in the wood processing sector.
Currently, through the new Kosovo Compete activity, USAID is supporting wood processing companies to develop resilient, self-sustaining market systems and improve the competitiveness and presence of the sector in local, regional, and global markets.
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