Assessments Of Romania’s Agrifood Processing Sector Competitiveness On International Market

• Published in: Bulletin of University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca. Horticulture Vol. 70; no. 2; pp. 374 - 381
• Main Author: Rusali, Mirela-Adriana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine 2013
• ISSN: 1843-5254; 1843-5394

Subsequent to the European integration that Romania committed to undertake, the trade liberalization process faced national agricultural producers to the widened exposure to the foreign competitive pressure, amid the structural and performance disparities most significant in the food processing sector. The research objective was to analyze the evolution and competitiveness of Romanian agrifood processed products on the international market, focusing on the post-EU accession period. The methods used relevant competitiveness indices related to agrifood processed groups of products, including the trade unit value and of trade revealed comparative advantage index. The results concluded that Romania is exporter of agricultural products, while imports have been dominated for over two decades by agrifood processed products and achieved largely cheap agrifood exports on international markets. The empirical research revealed trade disadvantages compared to EU products, dependence on imports especially of processed products of animal origin, while low competitiveness of the processing sector is the main drawback in increasing export earnings.