The trade deficit soared to US$674.2m in October from September's US$417.6m, as imports grew at a much faster pace than exports, National Statistics Board (INS) data showed last week.
An INS statement said exports rose by 11.4 per cent to US$1.664bn in October from September, while FOB imports soared by 22.4 per cent to US$2.338bn. The gap over January-October amounted to US$3.35bn, wider than US$2.02bn in the same 2002 period, with exports advancing by 28.3 per cent to US$14.5bn and imports growing by around 33.8 per cent year-on-year.
Ten-month imports were dominated by machines, clothing and minerals, which took some 51 per cent of the total.
According to Reuters, textiles, machines, equipment and metallurgical products accounted for 54.2 per cent of Romanian exports in the period.
The European Union remained Romania's main trading partner.
Source: Bucharest Business Week
