Romania’s chronic deficit of trade in goods contracted by 18.3% y/y to EUR 8.1 billion in Q4, as the imports shrank by 2.4% y/y to EUR 32.5 billion, dragged down by the austerity measures compressing consumption and placing public budget constraints. Exports, in contrast, rose by 4.4% y/y to EUR 24.4 billion.

The trade deficit narrowed by 18.3% y/y to EUR 8.1 billion. 

In the rolling four quarters to December 2025, Romania’s trade gap reached EUR 32.7 billion (-2.0% y/y), or some 8.7% of the GDP for the period (estimate). The ratio was 9.4% in 2024, and it peaked at9.8% calculated at the end of Q1 2025. 

Over the past three quarters, the imports have significantly moderated while the exports maintained robust nominal growth rates. 

Over the entire 2025 year, exports rose by 4.2% y/y (to EUR 96.6 billion) while the imports lagged with a 2.6% y/y advance (to EUR 129.3 billion). The exports of food (+12.7% y/y), crude materials (excl. Fuels, +24.1% y/y), mineral fuels (+18.9% y/y), and edible oils (+27.9% y/y) boosted Romania’s exports in 2025. 

On the imports’ side, only the import of edible oils (+13.6% y/y) posted a double-digit growth rate. Imports of food contracted by 1.1% y/y while the import of mineral fuels edged up by a mere 0.2% y/y. 

In the key chemical industry, both exports and imports rose by 5% y/y, resulting in a trade deficit of some EUR 13 billion – over a third of the total trade deficit. 

Gaps of over EUR 4 billion each were reported in the trade with food and mineral fuels – despite the positive developments in 2025 compared to 2024. The goods classified by raw material – basically less processed goods – also posted a significant trade gap of over EUR 8 billion (some 25% of the total trade deficit in 2025).

However, both exports and imports decreased as a ratio to GDP. The exports edged down from 26.2% in 2024 to 25.8% in 2025, while the imports contracted slightly more from 35.7% to 34.5%. 

As a result, the trade deficit to GDP ratio improved to 8.8% in 2025 from 9.4% in 2024.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Tatiana Golmer/Dreamstime.com)