After two and a half years of decline, Moldova's exports returned to pre-crisis levels in 2023, driven primarily by the services sector - IDIS Viitorul
According to economic policy expert Veaceslav Ioniță, exports of goods and services in the third quarter of 2025 once again reached $6.6 billion. This level is comparable to 2022 figures, with the full year potentially exceeding $7 billion. While Moldova's exports amounted to $3.8 billion in 2020, they increased significantly by 2022, after which they were negatively impacted by the regional and global crisis. The main factor behind the recovery, according to the expert, was the structural change in exports. For the first time in Moldova's history, in the second quarter of 2025, service exports exceeded goods exports. While goods exports decreased from $4.3 billion in 2022 to almost $3.5 billion in the third quarter of 2025, services exports demonstrated steady growth, rising from $2.3 billion in 2022 to over $3 billion in the same period of 2025. The expert noted that the dynamics of foreign trade confirm the resilience of the services sector, which continued to grow even during periods of crisis, unlike goods exports. In relation to GDP, according to the economist, total exports reached 34.5% in the third quarter of 2025. At the same time, goods exports had a negative impact on GDP (-0.9%), while services exports provided a positive contribution (+0.9%), strengthening their role in supporting the national economy. Veaceslav Ioniță also noted that, after a prolonged period of decline, goods exports began to show signs of recovery, increasing by almost $235 million in the third quarter of 2025 compared to the previous quarter. Growth was driven primarily by exports of oilseeds, grains, fruits, vegetable oils, as well as machinery and electrical equipment. The expert warns that this recovery remains vulnerable, as it is based primarily on the export of agricultural raw materials rather than finished goods with high added value. Overall, Moldova ended 2025 with a negative trade balance for food products: imports exceeded exports by almost $300 million. Moreover, the overall trade deficit remains significant and reached approximately $6.7 billion, while imports exceeded the $10 billion mark for the first time. The expert emphasizes that service exports exceeded expectations: in the first 9 months of 2025, they reached approximately $2.3 billion, and the annual volume of service exports exceeded $3 billion for the first time. Herewith, the trade balance of services became positive and is expected to exceed $1 billion. Among the most dynamically developing areas are tourism services and passenger transportation, the IT sector, transport, business services, construction, education, and healthcare. Veaceslav Ioniță emphasizes that after two and a half years of economic decline, Moldova's export figures have returned to pre-crisis levels, primarily due to accelerated growth in services exports. While goods exports have also recovered, their structure remains a significant vulnerability, as raw materials remain dominant, at the expense of high-value-added finished goods. // 16.01.2026 — InfoMarket
