Foreign trade
The trade policy of the Republic of Moldova is the component of the economic policy that concerns the sphere of foreign economic relations and involves all trade policy regulations, instruments and measures aimed at promoting foreign trade and stimulating the development of the national economy sheltered from foreign competition.
In this context, the trade policy of the Republic of Moldova aims to promote foreign economic relations, in particular by boosting exports, protecting the national economy from foreign competition, regulating and monitoring imports and maintaining the balance of trade.
Thus, since 26 July 2001, the Republic of Moldova has been a full member of the World Trade Organisation, which campaigns for the liberalisation of trade in goods and services by abolishing barriers and developing new rules in trade-related areas. At the same time, the WTO Agreements provide for a common dispute settlement mechanism whereby members defend their rights and settle disputes that arise between them.
In this context, the new wording of the CIS Trade Area Agreement, signed on 18 October 2011, includes the facilitation of regional trade through improved trade relations between the signatory states, the maintenance of zero customs duty on more than 10 thousand groups of goods, the gradual reduction and elimination of duties on products exempted from the free trade regime and the non-application of new trade restrictions. Thanks to the new Agreement, the number of previously existing bilateral agreements regulating trade and economic relations with CIS countries has been reduced. The Agreement also provides for trade dispute settlement mechanisms within the framework of the WTO platform and within the limits of the mechanisms and procedures agreed by the parties.
The CEFTA Central-European Free Trade Agreement, to which the Republic of Moldova has been a party since 2007, aims to increase trade in goods and services and boost investment between CEFTA member countries, as well as to eliminate barriers and distortions to trade and facilitate the movement of goods in transit and the cross-border movement of goods and services between the territories of the Parties.
At the same time, by amending Regulation 980/2005 and Commission Decision 2005/924/EC, the Council of the European Union adopted Regulation 55/2008 of 21 January 2008 on the introduction of Autonomous Trade Preferences (ATP) for the Republic of Moldova.
This Regulation grants autonomous trade preferences by removing tariff ceilings for industrial products and improving access to the Community market for agricultural products. Thus, original products from the Republic of Moldova have obtained free access to the European Union markets with the exception of certain products for which tariff quotas have been established and fruits and vegetables in fresh or chilled state on the import of which customs duty will be applied with the exclusion of the ad valorem component (specified in Government Decision No 262 of 07.03.2008 on the administration of tariff quotas on the export of goods to the European Union).
Perspective:
The Agreement establishing a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) with the European Union, initialled on 29 November 2013 at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius, is part of the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union. It will provide the Republic of Moldova with the necessary framework for the modernisation of its trade relations and for its economic development thanks to the opening of markets through the exclusion of customs duties and quotas, and through a comprehensive harmonisation of national legislation, rules and regulations with European legislation in trade-related sectors.
The Free Trade Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the Republic of Turkey, which involves facilitating regional trade by improving trade relations between the signatory states, is determined by Turkey’s commitments to the European Union, according to which the Turkish side is to align its trade policy with that of the Community, and this alignment will also include the preferential trade agreements that the European Union is to sign with third countries, including the Republic of Moldova.
- All study-for publication.with comments integrated.Final
- Appendix A-BPA wines export no cover
- Appendix B-fruitsvegetables export no cover
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