The Commission said exports are estimated to increase by EUR3.3 billion to EUR48.3 billion at the end of December, while imports are likely to grow by EUR6 billion to EUR60.8 billion.
The exports’ growth will slow down significantly to 7.4% year-on-year, from an annualized growth rate of 20.5% in 2011, mainly due to the economic crisis in the eurozone.
Despite the slowdown in exports, the Commission forecasts an economic growth of 1.7% in 2012, mainly driven by domestic consumption.
Romanian current account deficit is estimated to widen by EUR1.6 billion to EUR7.23 billion in 2012, equal to 5.2% of the gross domestic product.