Moldova-EU trade has doubled in the last four years
The Republic of Moldova's economy is becoming more closely tied to the European market. Trade with the European Union has doubled in just four years, with total transactions reaching a historic milestone of $8.5 billion by the end of last year. Specifically, Moldovan exports increased to $2.6 billion, while imports of European technology and products surpassed $5.9 billion.
The Republic of Moldova has become deeply economically integrated with the European Union (EU) through trade, investment, and external financing, according to expert Veaceslav Ioniță.
A few years ago, Moldova exported just 32 percent of its domestic products to EU countries. Currently, that figure has increased to 67.4 percent of all Moldovan exports reaching the EU.
"The European Union has been the market that absorbed our shocks related to the sharp decline in exports experienced in 2023, 2024, and 2025," Ioniță noted.
At present, half of all Moldovan exports are directed to four European countries. The largest share goes to Romania, which receives 43 percent of all goods sold to the EU, making it the Republic of Moldova’s primary trading partner.
Italy comes in second, accounting for 9.2 percent of total exports and 13.5 percent of exports to the EU. The next in line are the Czech Republic and Germany.
Automotive components make up the largest share of exports to the EU, followed by textiles and agricultural products such as seeds, cereals, oils, and fruits. The export ranking is rounded out by the furniture industry, alcoholic beverages, and glassware.
Ioniță also emphasized the trade deficit between Moldova and the EU, highlighting that the peaks in imports observed in 2022 and 2025 were due to the reconfiguration and rising prices of energy resources.
The list of imported products is topped by fuel, followed by machinery and electrical equipment. Additionally, Moldova imports food products, beverages, plastic materials, pharmaceuticals, textiles, metals, and both plant and animal products.
The EU has significantly increased financial support for Moldova, raising it over 40-fold.
In addition to being Moldova's largest market, Brussels has considerably boosted financial support for the country. In 2019, the EU provided $22.4 million in loans, which surged to almost $945 million by the first quarter of 2026—an increase of over 42 times.
According to Veaceslav Ioniță, the EU plays a crucial role in covering Moldova's budget deficit, paying pensions and salaries, and financing public investments. By the first quarter of 2026, EU loans constituted 19.3 percent of Moldova's total external loans, up from just 4.9 percent in 2020.
Furthermore, the EU is central to providing grants to Moldova. In 2025, external grants amounted to 4.7 billion lei, with nearly 59 percent coming from the European Commission.
Economically speaking, the Republic of Moldova is “fully integrated” into the European Union, asserts Veaceslav Ioniță.
“Trade with the EU constitutes a significant majority, foreign investments in Moldova's economy primarily originate from the EU, and the financial support in the form of loans and grants is mainly provided by the EU,” concluded the economic expert.
