In January – September 2017p, the balance-of-payments current account posted a deficit of EUR 4,191 million, compared with EUR 2,885 million in January – September 2016; the deficit on trade in goods widened by EUR 1,700 million, the surplus on services increased by EUR 42 million, the primary income deficit narrowed by EUR 562 million, while the surplus on secondary income contracted by EUR 210 million, according to a press release issued by BNR for ŞTIRIPESURSE.RO.
Non-residents’ direct investment in Romaniae totalled EUR 3,352 million (compared with EUR 3,307 million in January – September 2016), of which equity (including estimated net reinvestment of earnings) amounted to EUR 3,238 million and intercompany lending recorded a net value of EUR 114 million.
In January – September 2017, total external debt increased by EUR 294 million, of which:
long-term external debt at end-September 2017 stood at EUR 68,965 million (74.0 percent of total external debt), down 1.0 percent from end-2016;
short-term external debt at end-September 2017 amounted to EUR 24,239 million (26.0 percent of total external debt), up 4.2 percent against end-2016.
Long-term external debt service ratio ran at 22.6 percent in January – September 2017 against 30.0 percent in 2016. At end-September 2017, goods and services import cover stood at 5,6 months, as compared to 6.3 months at end-2016.
At end-September 2017, the ratio of the National Bank of Romania’s foreign exchange reserves to short-term external debt by remaining maturity came in at 89.5 percent, against 90.5 percent at end-2016.