Natalia Bejan
Overall, trade turnover between the countries amounted to around 792.2 million euros, which saw Germany drop from second place on the list of Moldova’s most important trading partners in 2024 to fourth place in 2025.
These figures are contained in the Export Vision analytical report, prepared by the Moldovan Investment Agency.
What we export to Germany
Moldovan exports to Germany last year were almost equally divided between food and non-food goods. In 2025, non-food goods accounted for 51.1 per cent of exports, totalling €67.75 million, whilst food goods accounted for 48.9 per cent, or €64.9 million.
The main non-food export categories are glass fibre, textiles, furniture, machinery and electrical equipment. As for foodstuffs, the main items are nuts, fruit and vegetable juices, fresh fruit and sunflower seeds.
Exports are falling
According to the study, Moldova’s exports to Germany peaked in 2022 at €220.5 million, after which a decline set in.
In 2023, they fell to €204.6 million, in 2024 to €157.8 million, and in 2025 to €132.7 million.
Thus, in just three years, exports fell by almost 40 per cent compared with the peak in 2022.
Nevertheless, Germany remains one of the most important export markets for Moldovan products within the European Union, although the structure of exports has changed significantly over this period.
The structure of exports is changing
“Over the past five years, the structure of exports from Moldova to Germany has been changing. Supplies of electronic components for the automotive industry are increasingly being replaced by those for the agri-food sector. Exports of nuts and fruit have doubled,” said Natalia Bejan, director of the Investment Agency.
The reasons for the decline are specific and clearly defined at the level of product groups.
– A collapse in the electrical equipment and machinery segment (HS 85 – wiring harnesses, electrical components): from €61.9 million in 2021 to just €4.6 million in 2025, a fall of 92.6 per cent. This is the main reason, driven by the postponement of major orders from German car manufacturers and a reduction in car production in Germany.
– A sharp decline in exports of furniture and bedding (HS 94): from €53.1 million to €14.1 million (-73.4 per cent) due to weak demand in Germany, the housing crisis and rising raw material prices.
– A decline in exports of copper and copper products (HS 74): from €17 million to €4.6 million (-73.1 per cent), reflecting both price volatility and the loss of subcontracting contracts.
– Excessive concentration of exports: in 2021, these three goods accounted for around 63 per cent of total exports to Germany – consequently, their decline was responsible for almost the entire overall decline (aggregate losses amounted to over €108 million).
– Contextual factors: rising energy and labour costs in 2022–2023, logistical and insurance disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine, and increased competition for supply contracts from countries in the Western Balkans and North Africa.
However, the slump in exports of high value-added products was partly offset by goods from the agri-food sector – mostly raw materials – and the light industry: edible fruit and nuts (HS 08) rose from €15 million to €31.4 million (+108 per cent), processed fruit and vegetables (HS 20) from €10.8 million to €18.2 million (+69 per cent), glass and glassware (HS 70) from €0.4 million to €9.1 million, and textile clothing (HS 62) from €10.0 million to €12.6 million.
A very promising market
Despite the above, Germany remains a very promising market for Moldovan goods, noted Natalia Bejan.
Germany offers significant potential for expanding Moldovan exports in both the agri-food sector and the light and manufacturing industries. As the largest import market in the European Union, Germany experiences high demand for natural, processed and industrial products, and in a number of categories its imports exceed the Republic of Moldova’s export volumes by tens or even hundreds of times.
Agri-food products
In the agri-food sector, sunflower seeds, fresh fruit, nuts, juices and grapes offer the greatest potential.
Every year, Germany imports sunflower seeds worth around €252.7 million, fruit such as apricots, sweet cherries, peaches and plums worth around €860.3 million, and nuts worth over €2.6 billion.
There is also significant demand for processed products. Germany imports bakery and confectionery products worth over €4.1 billion, juices worth around €1.7 billion, tinned fruit worth around €1.7 billion, and jams, jellies and marmalades worth over €450 million.
In other words, we are talking about processed agri-food products. And this sector (unlike the production of automotive electronics) is under Moldova’s domestic control.
We simply need to learn how to produce agricultural products that meet the required specifications and ensure they are processed in accordance with the requirements of the German market.
Non-food sector
For example, Germany imports electrical equipment for switching or circuit protection worth over €9.2 billion, whilst Moldova’s exports in this category amount to around €9.8 million.
There is also potential for men’s clothing, cars and heating systems, bed linen and certain types of technical equipment.
The data shows that there are opportunities to increase the presence of Moldovan products on the German market.
However, the expansion of exports depends on companies’ ability to meet quality standards, certification requirements, packaging and traceability standards, as well as to ensure uninterrupted supplies, particularly for access to large retail chains.
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