News about International trade
Russian authorities are increasing pressure on imports from Armenia. After the ban on the supply of flowers, vegetables and fruits, cognac has also come under restrictions. This can be a sensitive blow for the Armenian economy.
In the near future, the world economy risks a crisis comparable to the 2008 recession.
April was “marked” by steady, but atypical exports of Moldovan corn. Last month, Moldova shipped 56.4 thousand tons of corn to foreign markets for a total of 229.2 million lei. The weighted average realized price was 4,062 lei/ton.
The energy shock of the war over Iran is turning into a financial crisis for developing countries. As many as 27 nations have begun urgently accessing World Bank reserve facilities to get quick cash amid soaring fuel prices, supply disruptions and pressure on budgets.
European pork production, consumption and exports will continue to decline. An important reason is the consequences of ASF in Spain. Experts of the European Commission expect that pork production in the EU-27 countries in 2026 will decrease by about 1.0% to about 21.76 million tons.
U.S. President Donald Trump extended for a year the sanctions against the leadership of Belarus, which expire on June 16. This follows from a document on the website of the US Federal Register.
For the first time since 2022, global grain production will decline this year. The main reasons are a decrease in planted area and lower average yields of cereal crops. This is the latest forecast from the International Grains Council (IGC), according to forecasts,
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is making a visit to India from May 23 to 26, a major step in the U.S. effort to strengthen relations with India amid growing rivalry with China.
The country’s government will reinstate the ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products, which “accidentally stopped working after the change of power”. This was announced by Hungary’s new prime minister, Peter Magyar, on social media last night.
The European Union has officially rejected the UK government’s proposal to create a separate single market for goods. Brussels responded by rejecting London’s initiative aimed at deepening bilateral trade relations, confirming that any attempts to obtain selective privileges without meeting all membership conditions are ruled out.
Hungary is considering an agreement with Romanian companies OMV Petrom and Romgaz to supply gas from the Black Sea field Neptun Deep, which is scheduled to start up in 2027. The state-owned MVM Corporation has already agreed on a gas price close to the cost of Russian imports, and the parties are now discussing schedules and supply volumes, which could amount to about 1 billion cubic meters per year at the start.
Sales of KFC restaurants in Moldova decreased by 8% to RON 6.23 mln (EUR 1.2 mln) in the first quarter of 2026. This is reported by Wall-Street.ro with reference to the report of Sphera Franchise Group – the largest operator of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell chains in Romania and Moldova.
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has offered his Ukrainian counterpart Vladimir Zelensky to meet. The offer was made against the background of Kiev’s warnings that Russia was preparing a new offensive through the Belarusian territory to the Ukrainian capital and Chernihiv Region.
As of May 25, economic operators in the Republic of Moldova who transport goods to Romania or transit through the European Union must comply with new customs requirements.
Flyone, a private budget airline headquartered in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova, announced that it has canceled almost all flights to and from Henri Coanda Airport (Otopeni) in Bucharest.
As a result of control at the border points, inspectors of the National Agency for Food Safety (ANSA) revealed substandard goods: a batch of buckwheat (132 kg), two batches of dill and parsley (26 tons), three batches of surrogate cheese (about 1.5 tons).
The Council of the European Union has decided to suspend customs duties on imports of nitrogen fertilizers used in the bloc’s agriculture for a year. This measure is designed to reduce the costs of European farmers by about 60 million euros.
The potential of Moldovan agriculture and food industry was presented at the Moldova-Italy agri-food business forum in Rome by the head of the MAIA Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, Ludmila Catlabuga. The event was organized to strengthen economic cooperation between institutions and companies from the two states.
US holding Authentic Brands Group has announced the purchase of the Lee denim brand from Kontoor Brands, the owner of Wrangler and Helly Hansen. The value of the deal could reach $1 billion, including an initial payment of $750 million and additional payments tied to the future financial performance of the brand. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026.
The European Commission said Thursday it has sharply lowered its forecast for Romania’s economic growth in 2026 to 0.1 percent from 1.1 percent projected last fall.
