Over 1,800 Moldovan companies export to European market

Chisinau, 3 September /MOLDPRES/- In the six years since the signing of the Association Agreement between Moldova and the European Union and the implementation of the Comprehensive and Deep Free Trade Area (DCFTA), Moldovan exports to the European market have steadily increased.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, the DCFTA impact meant changing the configuration of foreign trade of Moldova, the EU becoming the main trading partner of our country, accounting for 70% of exports and 50% imports, compared to 2014, when only 53% of exports were to the EU.

Also, during the implementation of the DCFTA, there was an increase in the number of exporting companies in the EU, reaching in 2019 the figure of 1,837 companies involved in trade with the EU, out of 2,518 economic agents involved in exports that year. Thus, the top EU countries where domestic companies carry out export activities are Romania, Italy, Germany, Poland and Bulgaria.

Exports of Moldovan products to the EU market in January- June 2020 reached 742.6 million dollars, and imports from the EU amounted to 1118.2 million dollars.

At the same time, following the decision by the European Union and Moldova, the tariff quotas were increased, which enhanced the export of Moldovan products to the European market. Thus, farmers in our country, starting this year benefit from additional preferential quotas, with an increase of 50% compared to the current volume for plums, double increase for grapes and a new quota without customs duties for cherries, of 1,500 tons.

In the context of complying the national standardization system with European standards, more progress has been made since the entry into force of the agreement. Thus, during the reporting period, our country has adopted as Moldovan standards 26,950 European standards, which is 100% of the standards published by European organizations.