German companies operating in Romania see this country not only as a short-term profit opportunity, but also continuously invest in people, skills and local communities, thus contributing to increasing the competitiveness of the Romanian economy, said on Friday the executive director of AHK Romania, Sebastian Metz, on the occasion of the launch of the publication "Economic relations between Romania and Germany - A success story".
"The publication launched today aims to highlight the significant contribution of German companies operating in Romania. They see Romania not only as a short-term profit opportunity, but continuously invest in people, skills and local communities, thus contributing to increasing the competitiveness of the Romanian economy and to the development of a modern and sustainable business environment," emphasized Sebastian Metz.
According to a press release from AHK Romania and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, over 10,000 German companies provide over 250,000 jobs in Romania: from the automotive and IT industries, to retail, the energy sector and financial services. Since 2006, Germany has been Romania's most important trading partner.
The most current data and success stories in the aforementioned publication confirm that the bilateral relations between Germany and Romania create concrete advantages for both countries - a win-win relationship, which offers both parties new opportunities and sustainably strengthens the competitiveness of both economies.
"The relations between Germany and Romania are marked by a long tradition of friendship and cooperation and have developed into a dynamic partnership, which is now reflected in all economic fields. German-Romanian economic relations present many success stories, in which companies from both countries benefit from collaboration, implement innovative projects and achieve joint successes", stated the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mrs. Angela Ganninger.
According to the press release, German companies consider Romania an important and promising destination. The presence of the companies is felt throughout the country, not just in Bucharest: in Miroslava, near Iasi, Mennekes Electric has become a major employer and has contributed to the region's profile as an industrial center. In Blaj, Bosch's continuous investments have transformed the city into a modern, export-oriented industrial center. In recent years, Rheinmetall has opened production units in Medias, and Knauf in Târnaveni. Jobs and production networks are being created in these locations.
In 2025, Romanian-German trade amounted to 42.6 billion euros. Behind these figures are often industrial products developed and produced in Germany and Romania. Romania exports mainly machinery, electrical components, vehicles and metal products to Germany, as is the case with the company Comelf.
Parts manufactured in Romania thus reach global markets through German partner networks, for example through aerospace company AIRBUS and automotive supplier Draxlmaier. Over 80 million vehicles worldwide have been equipped with tires from Continental Tires, from its location in Timisoara.
Currently, over 252,000 people work in companies with German capital, which represents over 5% of all jobs in the Romanian economy. In the automotive sector alone, large investors such as Bosch, Draxlmaier and Schaeffler employ a total of tens of thousands of employees. In retail, Kaufland, Lidl and Penny offer over 32,000 stable jobs throughout the country. In both areas, German employers invest in the education and continuous training of their workforce, as is the case with the German Vocational School in Bra?ov.
By paying dividend, income and other taxes, German companies make significant financial contributions to the Romanian national and local budgets. In 2024, German companies paid almost 6 billion euros in direct taxes - this amount exceeds, for example, the annual flow of funds to Romania under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the cited source mentions.
In Romania, German companies also value constructive exchanges of ideas with universities and have made research and development (R&D) a growth engine for both countries. Companies such as Infineon, AUMOVIO, Siemens, Deutsche Bank and ebm-papst have established strong development centers in Romania, which offer high-quality jobs and top career opportunities.
Tourism has become an increasingly important pillar of the Romanian economy and contributed almost 5% to GDP in 2024. The over 240,000 German tourists per year represent the most important group of foreign tourists in the country and offer a real opportunity for the development of cultural tourism and ecotourism.
The Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK Romania) is the official representation of the German economy. Founded in 2002, AHK has over 700 members and offers companies an important platform for networking, exchanging information and experiences. Through the services it offers and the events it organizes, AHK Romania actively supports German companies in their entry into the Romanian market and is also a partner of Romanian companies interested in the German market. Starting with January 1, 2020, the Competence Center for the Republic of Moldova also operates within AHK Romania.
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