Austria, second biggest foreign investor in Romania, increases trade, investments reach EUR 9.4 bln

Trade between Romania and Austria prospered this year, reaching EUR 3 billion, while the total investment from Austrian companies reached EUR 9.4 billion. Austria ranks second among foreign investment sources for Romania, after The Netherlands.

In 2011, Austrian exports to Romania rose by 10.3 percent, while Romania’s imports from Austria registered a growth of 18.7 percent. In addition, this year’s Austria Show Case event is supposed to create new investment opportunities for Austrian companies on the local market, establishing partnerships and presenting business offers. Resources, agriculture, industry and services were the most important investment sectors in Romania for Austrian companies, according to a report issued by the Commercial Section of the Austrian Embassy in Bucharest. Also, major Austrian exports to Romania include food and drink such as ethyl alcohol, pork, apples and energy drinks. The most important Austrian imports from Romania comprise a variety of products, such as chicken meat, cigarettes, corn and honey. Currently, there are over 1,000 Austrian investors in Romania and around 100,000 direct employees of Austrian companies, while the most successful Austrian companies in Romania are OMV/Petrom and Erste/BCR. New investment projects endorse the alternative energy sector, ongoing expansion of retail chains, such as Baumax, Billa or Humanic and further investments of major industrial companies, including OMV/Petrom. Iulia Marin