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In January - March 2019, the balance-of-payments current account posted a deficit of 1,212 million euros, compared with 1,027 million euros in January - March 2018, according to data released on Tuesday by the National Bank of Romania (BNR).
"The deficit on trade in goods widened by 895 million euros, the surplus on services income decreased by 112 million euros, the primary income balance recorded a surplus of 91 million euros compared with a deficit of 589 million euros, and the surplus of the secondary income balance increased by 142 million euros."
Non-residents' direct investment in Romaniae totalled 1,243 million euros (compared with 1,555 million euros in January - March 2018), of which equity (including estimated net reinvestment of earnings) amounted to 854 million euros and intercompany lending recorded a net value of 389 million euros.
In March 2019, total external debt increased by 397 million euros, of which long-term external debt at end-March 2019 stood at 67,427 million euros (67.6 percent of total external debt), down 0.8 percent against end-2018; short-term external debt at end-March 2019 amounted to 32,387 million euros (32.4 percent of total external debt), up 3.0 percent from end-2018.
Long-term external debt service ratio ran at 15.6 percent in January - March 2019 against 21.2 percent in 2018. At end-March 2019, goods and services import cover stood at 4.6 months, as compared to 4.9 months at end-2018.
At end-March 2019, the ratio of the National Bank of Romania's foreign exchange reserves to short-term external debt by remaining maturity came in at 70.0 percent, against 74.3 percent at end-2018.
