Romania’s National Institute of Statistics (NIS) released a report that shows an 11% increase of United States food and agricultural products in the country last year. 

Romania imported $211 million worth of U.S. products, $79 million of those products were directly shipped from the United States and the rest reached the country through Western European ports of entry. 

The United States is a top-20—supplier of food to Romania.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's bulk, intermediate, and consumer-oriented (BICO) data, direct U.S. exports to Romania rose by 76%, to $79 million in Romania, particularly due to soybean meal exports. 

Direct U.S. agricultural exports to Romania generally consist of bulk commodities shipped as sea freight, including soybeans, soybean meal, sunflower seeds, and fishery products.

The most imported fruits to the country are dates, figs, and pineapples. Additionally, data shows trade valued at $1.8 million for groundnuts and nearly $200,000 for cranberries.

Romanian importers prefer to work through European distributors and find it convenient for intermediaries to handle EU customs clearance for U.S. products. For new-to-market products, some Romanian importers prefer to purchase smaller volumes to test consumer demand and to build distribution channels.

The main countries where U.S. goods arrive before being shipped to Romania are Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Belgium. Several product categories are imported exclusively or nearly exclusively through other EU Member States, including beef, potatoes, cranberries, groundnuts, fruit juices, and extracts.