Romania Trade Gap Smallest in 21 Months

Romania posted a trade deficit of EUR 2.687 billion in December 2025, narrowing from EUR 3.346 billion in the same month of a year earlier, as exports rose while imports fell. Exports grew by 9.4% year-on-year to EUR 7.196 billion, driven by higher shipments to both EU (9.4%) and non-EU countries (9.3%). Meanwhile, imports declined by 0.4% to EUR 9.883 billion, with arrivals decreasing from non-EU countries (-3.5%), while purchases increased from EU countries (0.9%). For the whole year of 2025, the country’s trade shortfall decreased to EUR 32.743 billion from EUR 33.416 billion a year earlier. Exports rose by 4.2% to EUR 96.908 billion, supported by robust sales of machinery and transport equipment (46.6%), manufactured goods classified mainly by raw materials (14.3%), and miscellaneous manufactured articles (12.3%). Imports grew at a softer 2.6% to EUR 129.935 billion, driven by higher purchases of machinery and transport equipment (36.8%).

Romania recorded a trade deficit of EUR 2.3 billion in November 2025, narrowing from EUR 2.9 billion in the same month a year earlier. This marked the smallest trade deficit since February 2024, as imports declined more than exports. Imports dropped 5.3% year-on-year to EUR 10.6 billion, weighed down by lower purchases from EU countries (-3.7%) and non-EU countries (-9.5%). Meanwhile, exports fell a softer 0.1% to EUR 8.4 billion, with shipments decreasing to EU countries (-0.5%) but increasing to non-EU countries (0.9%). For the January–November period, the country’s trade shortfall narrowed to EUR 29.8 billion from EUR 30.1 billion a year earlier. Exports grew 3.9% to EUR 89.4 billion, supported by stronger sales of crude materials, inedible, except fuels (22.4%) and animal and vegetable oils, fats, and waxes (21.9%). Imports rose 2.6% to EUR 119.2 billion, driven by higher purchases of animal and vegetable oils, fats, and waxes (13.4%).

Romania's trade deficit narrowed to EUR 3 billion in October 2025, from EUR 3.7 billion in the same month of the previous year. Exports grew by 5.1% year-on-year to EUR 8.9 billion, driven mainly by higher sales to EU countries (3.9%) and non-EU countries (8.4%). Meanwhile, imports fell by 2.4% to EUR 11.9 billion, weighed down by lower purchases from non-EU countries (-11.1%), which offset the rise in imports from EU countries (1.1%). For the first ten months of the year, the trade deficit widened slightly to EUR 27.5 billion, from EUR 27.2 billion in the same period of the previous year. Exports grew by 4.3% compared to the corresponding period a year earlier to EUR 81.1 billion, supported by stronger sales of machinery and transport equipment (3.4%) and food and live animals (13.7%). Meanwhile, imports rose by 3.4% to EUR 108.5 billion, driven by higher purchases of machinery and transport equipment (3.9%) and manufactured goods classified mainly by raw materials (2.5%).