Romania continues to be a prominent food importer in Europe, despite its strong agricultural base. Its evolving import patterns, trade dynamics, and regulatory landscape offer important signals for exporters aiming at the Romanian market.

1. Overall Import Scale & Trade Balance

• In 2024, Romania’s agricultural and food imports were estimated at US $15.3 billion, a 4.6% increase over 2023. 

• According to national statistics, imports of food and live animals reached €11.4 billion in 2024, up 5.1% over the previous year. 

• Romania’s agri-food trade deficit in 2024 grew significantly: it reached about €4.8 billion, 50% above the 2023 deficit. 

• In relation to total merchandise imports, food imports accounted for 9.1% in 2024 (versus 8.9% in 2023). 

• The broader trade balance of Romania’s goods sector expanded to €33.9 billion (9.4% of GDP) in 2024. 

These figures confirm that despite its role as an agricultural producer, Romania remains a net importer of many food and agricultural products.

2. Import Origins & Supplier Landscape

• Approximately 80% of Romania’s food and agricultural imports in 2024 came from other EU member states. 

• Key supplier countries include Germany, Hungary, Poland, and the Netherlands. 

• Ukraine also continues to play a role, especially for bulk and staple commodities, though recent import regulations have increased scrutiny. 

• From the U.S., Romanian imports in 2023 reached US $211 million, and for the first half of 2024 they were about US $104 million (a 5% increase over the same period in 2023). 

• U.S. exports to Romania are often shipped either directly, or via EU ports (Italy, Germany, the Netherlands) acting as transit hubs. 

3. Product Categories Driving Imports

The most significant import categories in recent years include:

• Meat and live animals: Romania depends on imports for certain processed meats and specialty cuts, even though local meat production is substantial. 

• Dairy and processed dairy: Imports of milk, cheese, and other dairy products remain important, especially for higher-value or specialty segments. 

• Grains, oilseeds, and feed ingredients: Despite Romania’s role as a regional producer, volatile yields and seasonal shortfalls lead to significant import activity—especially for feed and processed grain products. 

• Food preparations, tree nuts, soybeans, processed oils: These categories accounted for nearly 70% of U.S. agricultural exports to Romania, reflecting demand for ingredient and processed inputs. 

• Fruits, vegetables & exotic produce: Imports of out-of-season produce, exotic fruits (e.g. citrus, tropical fruits), and certain high-demand vegetables remain consistent, especially when local production is constrained. 

4. Market Drivers & Consumer Trends

Several factors sustain and shape the import-driven nature of Romania’s food market:

• Rural-to-retail shift: More rural households now procure food from modern retail chains rather than relying solely on subsistence farming or local production.

• Purchasing power growth & inflation control: In 2024, inflation in Romania averaged about 5.1%, down from 10.4% in 2023. This improvement helps stabilize consumer demand for imported goods. 

• Seasonality & storage constraints: Local producers often cannot bridge seasonal gaps or store produce effectively, leading to import demand even for domestic fruit varieties.

• Premiumization & imported specialties: Romanian consumers increasingly seek premium, niche, and international cuisine ingredients, driving imports of gourmet food, ethnic cuisines, and organic lines.

• Logistics & port capacity upgrades: Investments in logistics and port infrastructure (especially at Constanța) are improving throughput and reducing bottlenecks. For example, DP World Romania more than doubled container capacity in Constanța with a €130 million investment. 

• Regulatory tightening & import controls: New regulations in 2024, such as Government Ordinance 126/2023, expanded licensing requirements for certain imports (e.g. wheat or sugar of Ukrainian origin) and increased oversight by customs and veterinary agencies. 

5. Risks & Challenges

• Widening trade deficit: The growing imbalance in agri-food trade raises concerns about long-term sustainability. 

• Import protectionism & regulatory barriers: Licensing regimes, stricter border controls, and traceability requirements pose compliance risks for exporters. 

• Volatile supply & climate risks: Weather extremes, droughts, and yield variances impact both domestic supply and the availability/cost of imports—especially for grains and oilseeds. 

• Currency & inflation effects: Fluctuations in the leu–euro or leu–dollar rates, and domestic inflation pressures, can affect pricing and competitiveness.

• Competition from within the EU: With freedom of movement of goods, well-established EU suppliers often have logistical and regulatory advantages in accessing Romania.

6. Top Players & Importers (Updated View)

While many of the names from earlier lists still operate in Romania, the competitive landscape has evolved. Some key companies to watch (or verify) include:

• Sam Mills / Arpis: A major local supply and distribution group particularly in pasta, flour, and grain-based foods. (Though more of a domestic producer/distributor, they interact with imports for raw materials) 

• Biogama, Macromex, Serpico Trading, ACSI Trade, Simba Invest, Nordic Import Export: These names have featured in import/distribution directories in previous years.

• European Drinks & Foods (Micula Group): Operates in beverages, soft drinks, and related food segments. 

• Other modern retail import divisions: Major supermarket chains (e.g. Carrefour, Lidl, Kaufland) often handle import procurement centrally and thus act as important import channels.

You should cross-check your 2025 directory for active registration, contact data, and specialization — especially in categories such as dairy, meat, grains, gourmet, and organic foods.

7. Recommendations for Exporters Targeting Romania

1. Prioritize EU compliance & certification: Products meeting EU standards (e.g. hygiene, traceability, labeling, SPS) are advantaged.

2. Use EU hubs strategically: Routing shipments via other EU countries may streamline customs clearance, especially for U.S. or non-EU exporters.

3. Focus on differentiated or premium segments: Organic, niche, and specialty products face less direct domestic competition and often command higher margins.

4. Partner with local distributors: A Romanian importer with logistics, retail relationships, and compliance experience is often essential.

5. Monitor regulations & licensing: Stay alert to changes in import licensing, border controls, and evolving food safety rules.

6. Leverage logistics improvements: The enhanced port capacity and infrastructure investments (Constanța, rail, road) can reduce costs and transit times.

7. Plan for seasonality & hedging: Use forward contracts, buffer stocks, and flexible sourcing to manage volatility and currency risk.

Top players

Some of the top Romanian food importers and distributors are: Serpico Trading, Macromex, Biogama, ACSI Trade, Simba Invest or Nordic Import Export.

For a complete list of food importers and distributors from Romania you can purchase one of the up-to-date BestFoodImporters databases.