Romania’s food imports grow fast

The imports of food products grew at a much faster pace than exports, leading to a food trade deficit of over EUR 1 billion in the first half of 2017.

Romania imported food worth almost EUR 3.5 billion in the first half of this year (H1), up 17% year-on-year.

By comparison, the country’s food exports rose by 4.5% during this period to EUR 2.4 billion, reports local Agerpres news agency.

The trade deficit with agri-food products thus exceeded EUR 1 billion in the first six months of this year, up 60.4% year-on-year, according to data from Romania’s Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry.

Romania’s trade deficit with agri-food products reached EUR 557.4 million last year, six times higher than in 2015, when it amounted to EUR 89.2 million.

The main import countries in 2016 were Hungary, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Holland, Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and Brazil.

At the top of the imported products lie the pork, bakery products, chocolate, animal food, cheese, tobacco, sugar.

Source: www.romania-insider.com / www.agerpres.ro / Agroberichten Buitenland