Romania flag Romania: Economic and Political Overview

Foreign trade figures of Romania

Foreign Trade in Figures

Romania is open to foreign trade, which represents 83% of its GDP (World Bank, latest data available). The country mainly exports machinery and transport equipment (44.8% of total exports in 2023, mostly cars), manufactured goods classified mainly by raw materials (15.9%), miscellaneous manufactured articles (13.9%), and food and live animals (8.2%). Imports are led by machinery (36.8%); mineral products; chemical products; and base metals (data INSEE 2023).

The European Union is the main trading partner, accounting for 72.6% of total exports and 73.3% of imports in 2023. The leading countries for exports are Germany (20.8%), Italy (10.2%), France (6.3%), Hungary (5.7%), and Bulgaria (4.2%); whereas imports are led by Germany (19.4%), Italy (8.7%), Hungary (6.5%), Poland (6.2%), and China (5.5% - data Comtrade).

Romania’s foreign trade figures for 2023 published by WTO show that merchandise exports amounted to USD 100.6 billion (+4% year-on-year), while imports decreased to USD 131.9 billion (-0.4%). On the other hand, the country is a net exporter of commercial services, with exports totalling USD 42.8 billion against USD 28.4 billion in imports (+10.4% and +13.4%, respectively). Overall, Romania has a structurally negative trade balance: in 2023, it stood at around 4.8% of the country’s GDP (from 6.9% one year earlier - World Bank). According to preliminary figures from the national statistical office INSEE, in 2024, Romania's trade deficit expanded by 15.3% in 2024, reaching EUR 33.39 billion (USD 34.4 billion). FOB exports slipped by 0.4% to EUR 92.69 billion, while CIF imports rose by 3.3% to EUR 126.08 billion. Machinery and transport equipment dominated trade, representing 47% of exports and 36.4% of imports, with other manufactured goods accounting for 28.5% of exports and 28.6% of imports.

 
Foreign Trade Values 20192020202120222023
Imports of Goods (million USD) 96,54492,132116,203132,468131,912
Exports of Goods (million USD) 76,87170,71887,38896,699100,612
Imports of Services (million USD) 20,61416,36421,80025,06728,440
Exports of Services (million USD) 30,30227,16532,91438,75842,797

Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Indicators 20192020202120222023
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) 84.477.986.693.683.1
Trade Balance (million USD) -19,960-21,676-27,291-33,614-31,328
Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) -10,282-10,875-16,177-19,923-16,940
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 8.8-5.214.69.3-1.1
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 5.4-9.512.69.3-0.8
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 44.341.246.150.343.9
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 40.136.840.543.439.2

Source: World Bank ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Forecasts 20242025 (e)2026 (e)2027 (e)2028 (e)
Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) -2.75.05.75.35.4
Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) 2.55.15.84.84.6

Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook ; Latest available data

Note: (e) Estimated Data

 
International Economic Cooperation
Member of the European Union
Member of the European Economic Area which has guaranteed, since 1 January 1993, the free movement of most goods between European countries.
Multilateral agreements and bilateral agreements with many countries.

Member of the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting).

 

Main Partner Countries

Main Customers
(% of Exports)
2023
Germany 20.8%
Italy 10.2%
France 6.3%
Hungary 5.7%
Bulgaria 4.2%
See More Countries 52.8%
Main Suppliers
(% of Imports)
2023
Germany 19.4%
Italy 8.7%
Hungary 6.5%
Poland 6.2%
China 5.5%
See More Countries 53.7%

Source: Comtrade, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

Main Products

100.6 bn USD of products exported in 2023
Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles...Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles for the transport of ten or more persons, motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, motor vehicles for the transport of goods and special purpose motor vehicles of heading 8701 to 8705, n.e.s. 7.7%
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 6.9%
Insulated "incl. enamelled or anodised" wire,...Insulated "incl. enamelled or anodised" wire, cable "incl. coaxial cable" and other insulated electric conductors, whether or not fitted with connectors; optical fibre cables, made up of individually sheathed fibres, whether or not assembled with electric conductors or fitted with connectors 4.4%
Boards, panels, consoles, desks, cabinets and...Boards, panels, consoles, desks, cabinets and other bases, equipped with two or more apparatus of heading 8535 or 8536, for electric control or the distribution of electricity, incl. those incorporating instruments or apparatus of chapter 90, and numerical control apparatus (excl. switching apparatus for line telephony or line telegraphy) 3.8%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (excl. crude); preparations containing >= 70% by weight of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of the preparations, n.e.s.; waste oils containing mainly petroleum or bituminous minerals 2.6%
See More Products 74.6%
132.0 bn USD of products imported in 2023
Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles...Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles for the transport of ten or more persons, motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, motor vehicles for the transport of goods and special purpose motor vehicles of heading 8701 to 8705, n.e.s. 4.1%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude 3.4%
Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed...Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses "incl. those in the form of transdermal administration" or in forms or packings for retail sale (excl. goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) 3.2%
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 3.2%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (excl. crude); preparations containing >= 70% by weight of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of the preparations, n.e.s.; waste oils containing mainly petroleum or bituminous minerals 2.6%
See More Products 83.4%

Source: Comtrade, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

To go further, check out our service Import-Export Flows.

 

Main Services

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

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Latest Update: March 2025