The External Trade of Romania: Evolution Trends

In most cases there is a direct link between the economic development and the foreign trade of a country. Over time, Romania has not been an exception to this rule. Engaged in the capitalist mechanism both in the interwar period and in the period elapsed since 1990, Romania has been held between the interests of foreign capitalism and the decisions of a political class that did not always rise to the level of the times when it exercised its power. On top of these, a series of negative impact events such as wars or crises have overlapped. Despite all the investment efforts made, the impact of Romania’s economic development on foreign trade was limited during the socialist era. As regards the volume of foreign trade, the trade balance, the structure of exports and imports, the value of exports per capita, Romania’s evolution was generally modest. Practically, with some exceptions, Romania’s involvement in international trade was below the economic potential of our country throughout the analyzed period.