Doina Nistor
Cristina Ceban, state secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, said earlier that Moldova had asked the US authorities for a transition period, which would allow the Moldovan cabinet to continue the dialogue with the American side in order to reach a bilateral agreement.
Cristina Ceban said that Chisinau is willing to have an open dialog with Washington and believes that Moldova has a chance to reach an agreement on the reduction of tariffs, as most of the industrial goods imported from the USA to Moldova are duty-free, which is Moldova’s advantage.
“We can negotiate from this position because we give the U.S. much more favorable treatment compared to the 25 percent duty that must be applied to all imported goods. We will negotiate. There is a chance of getting a reduction. I am not sure how significant this reduction will be, but we will definitely insist that it will be tangible and will enable our exporters to stay on the American market,” emphasized the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy.
Earlier, Economic Development and Digitalization Minister Doina Nistor said that Moldova will continue the dialogue with the US authorities and negotiations with local producers in order to identify the most efficient options to maintain competitiveness on the American market. Commenting on the decision of the US authorities to impose new customs duties on imports of goods from Moldova at the level of 25 per cent starting from August 1, she said that this is lower than the 31 per cent rate initially proposed by the US government more than three months ago.
Doina Nistor said that the US decision to impose 25% customs duties on Moldova was taken in a difficult situation in the world trade, and the Moldovan government took the necessary steps to minimize the impact of the change in the US trade policy. Thus, direct consultations with Moldovan exporters operating on the US market and diplomatic and technical negotiations with the US authorities, including representatives of the US Trade Representative (USTR), have been held in recent months. The Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization stressed that last year, the USA ranked 14th (with a 2.5% share) in the list of Moldova’s largest trade partners.
At the same time, Moldovan exports to the US have decreased by 40% in recent months. “We will continue the dialog with the American authorities, as well as negotiations with local producers to identify the most effective options to maintain competitiveness on the foreign market. In parallel, we are exploring alternative export markets, especially to the European Union, where 3 out of 4 Moldovan goods are already exported. The Moldovan government remains committed to protecting national economic interests and maintaining stable trade relations with the United States, based on partnership, mutual respect and balanced solutions,” she said.
It should be noted that in April 2025, US President Donald Trump announced the US decision to impose import duties for Moldova at the level of 31%. Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said at the time that this decision would affect 2.5 per cent of Moldova’s exports, but the government will provide assistance to entrepreneurs to maintain their competitiveness.
