Decrease in agricultural production, metal deliveries affects Moldovan exports

The decrease in the agricultural production has had an essential impact on the exports, which decreased by 0.1 per cent over the last eight months, against 2011. The statement was made Deputy Economics Minister Octavian Calmic at a news conference on October 24.

Moldova has stopped exporting cereals and sugar from June and July 2012, given the severe current year's drought, which hurt the wheat, maize and sugar beet harvest. The National Statistics Bureau announced a 70-per-cent decrease in the maize production and a 39-per-cent decrease in the wheat production, against 2011.

Deputy Economics Minister Octavian Calmic said metal exports have essentially diminished. Also re-exports through free trade zones, have significantly decreased by 18 per cent over the last eight months. As a result of the euro financial crisis, the export of textile products, produced by Moldovan factories, using raw material provided by foreign companies, in particular from EU member states, has also decreased.

On the other side, experts registered a 826.8-million-dollar increase in the export of local goods, in January-August, against a 16.2-per-cent growth during the same period of time in 2011.

«Moldova's main trade partners, both in export and import, are still the same, as no essential changes took place. Russia, Romania, Italy and Ukraine preserve their positions among Moldova's most important partners, whereas Russia, Romania, Ukraine and China are the first among Moldova's four most important import partners,» Calmic said.

Adapted from Moldpres