Exports
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in April 2026, goods worth 269.6 million euros were exported, which is 9.6% less than in March 2026 and 13.5% more than in April 2025.
In the first four months of this year, goods exports totaled 1,118.1 million euros, which is 10.9% more than in the corresponding period of 2025. The upturn has been ongoing for exactly 12 months: in June of last year, a period of steady decline in exports gave way to an upturn that has continued to this day.
Exports of goods to European Union countries reached 698.6 million euros (up 12.1% compared to the same period in 2025), accounting for 62.5% of total exports, an increase of 0.6 percentage points compared to January–April 2025.
At the same time, exports of goods to CIS countries amounted to 67.7 million euros, accounting for 6% of total exports, a decrease of 0.4 percentage points compared to January–April 2025.
The main destination countries for Moldovan exports were: Romania (27.2% of total exports), Turkey, Italy, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, and Germany.
The following product groups accounted for significant shares of exports: oilseeds and nuts (19.6%), electrical machinery and equipment (14.8%), grain crops (9.9%), vegetables and fruits (9.7%), clothing and accessories (7.2%), alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (5.4%), furniture (3.3%), ores and metal scrap (2.7%), and vegetable fats and oils (2.5%).
Imports
At the same time, in April 2026, goods worth 912.1 million euros were imported, which is 2.2% less than in March 2026 and 19.1% more than in April 2025.
In January–April 2026, imports of goods totaled 3,365.2 million euros, an increase of 5.7% compared to the corresponding period in 2025.
The volume of imports into Moldova of goods from EU countries during the first four months of 2026, compared to the same period in 2025, increased by 7.3%—to 1 billion 886 million euros, while imports from CIS countries decreased by 4.5% to 103.3 million euros.
The largest volumes of Moldovan imports in January–April 2026 came from the following countries: Romania (24.8% of total imports), China (13.9%), Ukraine (8.8%), Germany (6.6%), Turkey (6.5%), Italy (4.6%), Poland (3%), the Czech Republic (2.4%), France and Russia (2.3% each).
The following product groups accounted for significant shares of imports: gas and gas-derived industrial products (13.1% of the total); crude oil and petroleum products (8.8%); vehicles (7%); electrical machinery, electrical equipment, and their parts (6.5%); electricity (4.1%); vegetables and fruits (3.3%); telecommunications equipment and devices for recording and reproducing sound and images (3.1%); medicines and pharmaceutical products (3.1%); general-purpose industrial machinery and equipment; parts and components for such machinery (2.8%); specialized machinery and equipment for specific industrial sectors (2.6%); yarn, fabrics, textiles, and related goods (2.6%); finished metal products (2.1%).
Trade Deficit
In April, Moldova’s trade deficit amounted to 642.5 million euros, which is 8.1 million euros (1.3%) higher than the previous month’s figure and 114.4 million euros (21.7%) higher than the figure for April of the previous year.
Over the first four months of this year, the deficit totaled 2 billion 247.1 million euros, an increase of 3.3% (+70.8 million euros) compared to the same period in 2025.
An Unpleasant Record
“While total exports increased by 32.1 million euros, exports of fresh and processed agricultural products rose by 27.9 million, meaning that the latter accounted for 87% of the total increase in exports. Consequently, the increase in exports is not the result of an economic recovery or the recovery of its export-oriented sector, but is due to the favorable weather conditions of 2025, which had a positive impact on the agricultural sector’s performance,” economic analyst Vladimir Golovatyuk commented on the April results.
He also noted that in April, compared to the same month last year, imports rose sharply and significantly—by 19.1% or 147 million euros. By comparison, imports grew by only 1.4%—or 35 million—in the first quarter of this year.
As a result, the volume of imports in April was 3.4 times greater than that of exports. This is the largest gap in the history of independent Moldova.
Consequently, the trade deficit grew significantly—by nearly 22%.
“If these trends continue, it will have a negative impact on many financial and economic indicators, including GDP,” the economist predicts.
