North macedonia Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in north macedonia, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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eCommerce
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General Overview

About 80 percent of online purchases in 2022 in North Macedonia were made via AliExpress retail service and other foreign websites based in the UK, Hungary, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Ireland, and the United States.  Users mostly ordered consumer goods such as clothes, sports equipment, personal care, and electronics.  For specific needs, eBay is used, although on a much smaller scale.  Major consumer buying holidays in North Macedonia are Orthodox Christmas, Orthodox Easter, and Ramadan.  Because of the start of the traditional summer holiday period, the end of June and beginning of July are also popular among shoppers. 

Shopping through mobile devices still lags, in part due to delays in implementing technologies to facilitate mobile eCommerce. 

Consumers are extremely price sensitive, and price is usually the decisive factor in purchase decisions.  The most popular domestic eCommerce site is Grouper.mk, an eCommerce marketplace connecting consumers with merchants.

Legal & Regulatory

North Macedonia’s Customs Administration is aware of the potential for intellectual property right (IPR) infringement in eCommerce.  The Customs Administration inspects packages arriving from foreign online retailers and holds IPR infringing goods.  Since 2015, local law has prohibited the online sale of medications that are available only by prescription in North Macedonia to protect consumers from fake drugs sold over the internet.

B2B eCommerce is under-developed in North Macedonia.  B2B eCommerce is most common in the Information Communications and Technology (ICT) sector.

Established in December 2017, the Macedonian e-Commerce Association is the first association aiming towards creating a future for eCommerce growth and support of eCommerce companies.  They have begun organizing eCommerce-themed events.

Consumer Behavior

Many local consumers have low levels of digital literacy and purchase cheap fakes online believing they are genuine.  

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

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As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

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