An analysis of the Romanian agri-food international trade expansion during the post-accession period

Romania's accession to the European Union meant the free access of its agri-food products on the European Single market, without tariff barriers or export quotas, as well as a better access on the international markets. At the same time, it meant the free access on the Romanian market of competitor products coming from the other member states. After a two-year period of adaptation to the new "rules of the game", and the overcome of the economic crisis shock manifested in 2009, the agri-food exports increased significantly, at a faster pace than the imports, so as the agri-food trade balance deficit, after reaching a peak in 2008, diminished continuously until it turned to surplus in 2013 and 2014, just to go back to a slight deficit again in 2015. The paper is analyzing the evolution of agri-food exports and imports, with focus on latest export developments, in terms of value, product composition and geographical orientation of the trade flows.