Exports grew at an impressive rate for the second consecutive month. As previously reported Logos Press, $347 million worth of goods were exported in July 2025, a 30.3 percent increase over June 2025 and a 21.8 percent increase over July 2024.
However, the minus balance formed in the current year, even such “jumps” could not overcome: in the first eight months of 2025, exports of goods amounted to $2280.8 million, down 2.5% compared to the corresponding period last year.
Nevertheless, progress is evident. As exports of domestic goods in January-August 2025 amounted to $1771.4 million (77.7% of total exports), which is 0.6% more than in the same period of 2024. That is, for the first time in a year, an outperforming dynamics was registered, and it is in the strategic segment of goods produced in Moldova, not re-exported from it.
But re-exports (classic and goods after processing) fell by 11.8% since the beginning of the year.
The growth of exports in August was achieved due to an increase in shipments of cables and other parts for the automotive industry, as well as cereals. Sunflower seeds, which many considered to be the key to export growth, showed a year-on-year decline of almost one and a half times.
In January-August 2025, imports of goods totaled $6911.9 million, up 18.3% compared to the corresponding period of 2024.
A significant gap between exports and imports of goods in January-August 2025, led to the accumulation of negative trade balance. It reached $4631.1 million, which is $1128.6 4 million (+32.2%) more than in the same period of 2024, notes the National Bureau of Statistics.
Economic analyst Volodymyr Golovatyuk draws attention to one important aspect.
“For 8 months, exports of food and agricultural products amounted to $1015 billion, while imports amounted to $1048 billion, i.e. there is a deficit of $33 million in trade with other countries for these groups of goods. Note that a year ago there was a surplus of $111 million.
Even in 2020 and 2022, when gross crop production fell by a third as a result of drought, exports of food and agricultural products exceeded their imports by $150 million and $500 million, respectively.
Now, practically throughout the year we have a foreign trade deficit in food and agricultural products with a significant overall deficit. Total imports exceeded exports by 3 times, while in previous years by 2-2.3 times.
It is understandable that there is a deficit in equipment trade, and even in clothing, footwear, etc., but we have always had a surplus in food and agricultural products as a rule. And now? We physically cannot even feed ourselves. And this is in Moldova! So much for food security!
In this context, the calls of some pseudo-economists to give up, figuratively speaking, apples, and to engage in IT are not understandable. Moldova has always been famous for its fields, orchards and vineyards, and it is a crime to give this up in favor of gadgets, at least now.
There is no doubt that it is necessary to put order in this sector, as well as in the whole economy, but we should not give up. We should produce everything we can produce, and we should sell it wherever there is demand for our products,” says the expert.
