The United Arab Emirates (EAU) represent the first trade partner of the Gulf Cooperation Council Area (CCG) and the third in Africa and the Middle East, said Lucian Bode, the minister of the economy, trade and business environment, who stressed that "Romania is happy with the very dynamic evolution of the economic bilateral relations".
Last year, the total volume of the commercial exchanges between Romania and the Commercial Arab Emirates reached 530 million dollars, compared to 340 million dollars in 2010 and 290 million dollars in 2009.
Exports also followed an upward trend, with their value reaching 461 million dollars in 2011, up from 302 million dollars in 2010 and 241 million dollars in 2009.
Imports from the United Arab Emirates were a lot smaller than exports, even though they had a rather significant increase, from 38 million dollars to almost 70 million dollars, according to data provided to us by the Ministry of the Economy.
The exports consisted mostly of products of the machinery-making industry (engines and power transformers, industrial reinforcements, ball bearings - 63.2%), mineral products (14.5%), wood and wooden products (11.52 %), metals (6.3%), furniture (1%), textiles etc.
Imports consisted first and foremost of plastic materials and plastic products (accounting for 49.5%), organic chemical products (41.46%), metals (5.1%), machinery and electric devices (2.6%).
The diversification of the structure of commercial exchanges last year brought new Romanian products on the market of the Emirates, such as pharmaceuticals, plastics, leather products and electrical appliances, as well as new products from the Emirates to the domestic market, such as the chemical products.
"We think that Romania has an extremely high potential for the production and export of food products and, in this context, the companies o
