Premium
Romania is one of the Republic of Moldova's most important trading partners, with a total volume of exports of goods and services of over 2.1 billion euros in 2022, an increase of about 61% compared to 2021 and over 134% compared to 2020, Leonardo Badea, deputy governor of the National Bank of Romania (BNR), said on Tuesday.
"Romania is now one of the Republic of Moldova's most important trading partners, with a total volume of exports of goods and services of over 2.1 billion euros in 2022. This represents an increase of about 61% compared to 2021 and over 134% compared to 2020. More than 3,800 companies registered in Romania exported to the Republic of Moldova over the past year. At the same time, imports of goods and services from the Republic of Moldova surpassed the 1 billion euro threshold last year, up by about 64% compared to 2021 and by over 94% compared to 2020," said Leonardo Badea, at the annual BNR-ASE (Bucharest University of Economic Studies) conference on "Navigating through overlapping crises".
According to him, key sectors of trade cooperation between the two countries include agriculture, industrial production and energy. Romania is a major export destination for Moldovan agricultural products such as wine, fruit and vegetables, while Romania exports machinery, equipment and various consumer goods to the Republic of Moldova.
Leonardo Badea said that there are about 3,800 companies with Moldovan or mixed capital registered with the National Trade Register Office of Romania, of which more than 1,000 were active during 2021, according to the latest available data. They stood out with an equity profitability rate above the average for the economy as a whole, a contribution of around RON 1.3 billion to the gross value added and a turnover of around RON 3.3 billion, with total assets of RON 2.7 billion and around 5,000 employees.
In addition to trade, investments have been an important aspect of economic cooperation between the two countries. Romanian companies have actively invested in the Republic of Moldova, contributing to the development of sectors such as banking, telecommunications and manufacturing. The BNR deputy governor maintains that these investments play a significant role in modernising the Republic of Moldova's economy and creating new jobs and opportunities for its citizens. One of the most notable examples of cooperation between the two countries in terms of investment is the Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline, which links the natural gas networks of Romania and the Republic of Moldova.AGERPRES
