Brazil Dominates Romania's Trade With Mercosur Bloc

Brazil has emerged as the primary trading partner for Romania within the Mercosur bloc, accounting for 86.1% of exports and 58.5% of imports from the region in 2024. An analysis by Tudorel Andrei, President of the National Institute of Statistics (INS), shows that while trade with Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay is highly concentrated, it remains small in scale, representing only 0.27% of Romania's total exports and 0.33% of total imports.

Export activity is driven by a small group of 13 companies that handle 75% of the volume, primarily shipping machinery, vehicles, and electrical equipment. Imports are slightly less concentrated, with 20 companies managing 80% of the volume, consisting largely of coffee, tobacco products, and food industry waste.

Andrei used these findings to argue for the necessity of official statistics in a democratic society. He called for a dedicated pay scale for the INS to improve staff recruitment and retention, noting that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has identified the statistical field as a priority area for Romania's accession process.