Romanian commodity exports this January reached 1.5 billion euros, 23.9% more than for the reporting period of last year. At the same time, imports continued at a level above exports, but grew at a slower pace. The value of imported goods in January came to 1.8 billion euros, 20.4% higher than in the same month of 2004. As a result, the trade deficit was 337.1 million euros, 18% higher than in January 2004, according to data from the National Statistics Institute.
The best-selling Romanian commodities remained clothes and textiles - while seeing only 1.4% growth on last January, this is still a leading category among the main commodities in Romanian exports with revenues of 331.3 million euros.
The most spectacular growth, however, was seen for sales of metallurgic products, which rose by 77.8% as compared to January 2004 to 247.5 million euros. One of the main engines of this growth was the Sidex Galati steel complex, which is owned by the world's largest steel producer, Mittal Steel. Exports account for about two thirds of Sidex's production, with the main retail market being the European Union, accounting for 22% of production. Last year the plant reported turnover of 1.7 billion euros, almost double the figure for 2003.
Rapid progress was also made in the export of vehicles and transport materials, which in January reached 91.7 million euros, 59.4% higher than in January one year before.
As with metallurgic products, this category also had its star performer: Automobile Dacia. The Pitesti-based company exported nearly 2,700 vehicles in January, 90% of which were Logan cars. At an average price of 5,000 euros, the value of exports came to 13.5 million euros. "Against January 2004, deliveries abroad rose by 246%. In the first two months of this year, exports reached 5,717 units, of which 5,000 were Logan cars," said company representatives.
Dacia began exporting Logan cars last November and the number of units sold abroad by late February had exceeded 7,500. This year's target is 60,000 cars (including all Dacia models), which will represent a boost of almost 300 million euros to Romanian exports.
January also saw Romania export 254.8 million euros' worth of machines and mechanical devices (14.1% higher than in January 2004), 123.7 million euros in mineral products (45.4% higher) and 97.7 million euros in footwear and similar products (0.2% higher).
miruna.lebedencu@zf.ro
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