Support policies for agri-food export promotion in the Republic of Moldova.

Abstract

Agri-food trade has expanded over the recent decade in the Republic of Moldova. Trade policies promoted by the Republic of Moldova are mostly oriented towards product diversification, knowledge transfer and promotion of new competitive goods with high added value for domestic and foreign markets. The trade balance remains dynamic with significant fluctuations in product categories over time and countries of destination, due to climatic and trade shocks. In this context, the aim of the paper is to provide an analysis of agri-food sector and external trade, assess the impact of external factors over the national economy and opportunities for the better export targeting, and identify possible solutions to increase resilience to agro-food foreign trade shocks. For such tasks were used the statistical methods of analysis and informal interviews with main stakeholders. This paper’s outcome incorporates the scale, significance and dynamics of the agri-food export including the continued evolution of the regulatory agencies involved and the critical role of support policies provided by other sectors of national economy for the export promotion.