According to the data provided by the National Bureau of Statistics, in 2022, the imports of the Republic of Moldova amounted to 9.2 billion dollars, of which 47% were purchased from the European Union (EU), representing an increase of 38.6% compared to 2021.
As a proportion, the top countries of origin of goods imported by the Republic of Moldova in 2022 were Romania (17.9%), Germany (6.3%), Italy (4.8%), Poland (3.3%), Hungary (1.9%), France (1.9%), Greece (1.8%), Bulgaria (1.6%), Czech Republic (1.1%), Spain (1.1%), Netherlands (1.0%), Austria (0.9%), United Kingdom of Great Britain (0.8%), Northern Ireland (0.8%), Slovakia (0.7%), and Belgium (0.6%).
The data also shows that the value of imports of petroleum oils and bituminous mineral oils from Romania increased by 2.5 times, reaching 363.61 million USD, compared to 142.07 million USD in the fourth quarter of 2021. In addition, the import of electric energy was valued at 96.81 million USD.
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The import of agro-food products also had a significant contribution, reaching 305.15 million USD, an increase of 11.8% compared to the same period last year.
Due to the exceptional situation in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation, fuel prices continued to rise internationally. In the fourth quarter of 2022, the value of energy products doubled, reaching 790.04 million USD. This led to an increase in the value of imported diesel fuel, which increased by 2.2 times, to 270.90 million USD, due to rising prices and increased physical volumes (+48.8%). The fuel was imported from Romania.
The import of auto gasoline also increased by 2.4 times due to a 2.2-fold increase in physical volume and rising prices. The import of pitch from Romania increased to 57.83 million USD in the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to 1.14 million USD in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Furthermore, Greece supplied natural gas to the Republic of Moldova for the first time in history, worth 91.83 million USD. These data reflect the strong economic ties between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union, which is a key trading partner of the country.