In the first 4 months of 2025, Romania’s imports from China increased at a massive rate by 32.1%, compared to the first 4 months of 2024, our country being part of the Chinese strategy to overwhelm the European market with cheap consumer goods, according to the data sent to CursDeGuvernare.ro by the National Institute of Statistics (NIS.)
Subsequently, Romania’s import of goods from China totaled approximately EUR 2.84 billion in the first 4 months of 2025, almost 12 times more than the value of Romania’s exports to the world’s second economy, which totaled only EUR 223.72 million in the first 4 months of the year.
Moreover, Romania’s exports to China register an annual decrease of -10%.
Chinese exporters’ strategy: flood all markets with what they can no longer sell in the US. The goal, overwhelming Europe – the effect, bankruptcy of domestic producers
Chinese exports to European countries and other continents have grown massively in recent months, with Chinese exporters desperately trying to find new consumer markets after the US, the largest such consumer market, erected a tariff wall around itself.
In the case of Europe stormed by the Chinese, Bloomberg economists estimate that at least USD 75 billion worth of Chinese goods will be diverted to EU countries, given that the European Union as a trading bloc and the US buy roughly the same amount of goods from China.
Chinese export options: avoiding tariffs or exporting to other countries at dumping prices
Chinese exports to the US have already collapsed by -24% on a quarterly basis in June 2025, which forces the Chinese to either (1) redirect exports to the US through other countries with lower tariffs, i.e. transshipment of goods, or (2) export goods to other countries at reduced prices to generate demand. The most famous examples are the platforms Temu and Shein.
As the US has begun blocking China’s ability to evade tariffs by raising tariffs on other Asian countries, Chinese exporters are left with the option of flooding the rest of the world with their consumer goods, sold at lower prices to stimulate demand.
In the case of Romania, commercial data transmitted by the National Institute of Statistics from Bucharest show a massive and sustained increase in monthly Chinese exports to Romania, a trend that has been accentuated and exacerbated in the summer months of 2024 as well.
As for this year, the average of imports from China in the first 4 months (for which the NIS provided complete data) increased significantly, to EUR 710 million, compared to an average of EUR 538 million in the first 4 months of 2024, a period in which consumption in Romania increased in real terms by +6.5%.
Annualizing, we are talking about end of 2025 imports of potentially EUR 8.52 billion, after in 2024 we saw an annual increase in imports from China of 15.9% – particularly in the summer months of 2024, which accumulated the highest volume of imports from China in the history of Romania, a period rivaled (in a sustained manner) only by that of the first months of 2025.
Romania’s exports perform differently: Imports from China exceed Romanian exports to the Chinese 12 times. Moreover, exports have no chance of growth
On the other hand, Romania’s exports to China do not register the same performance, with a decrease of -10.3% at an annual rate.
As a result, Romania exported goods to China worth only EUR 223.7 million in the first 4 months of 2025, against EUR 249.56 million in the first 4 months of 2024.
In addition, in the first 4 months of 2025, the average of Romania’s exports to China reached only EUR 55.93 million, insignificant compared to the average of imports, making Romania’s commercial relationship with China the most unbalanced.
Expert: China is desperately looking for new markets
Hungary is also seeing a massive increase in monthly imports of goods from China: +40%, to around USD 1.4 billion in June from approximately USD 1 billion/month at the end of 2024.
Robin Brooks, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, explains in a series of posts on the X platform that if China’s exports suddenly increase to one country, there may be reasons specific to that country.
‘But if China’s exports to many markets simultaneously increase immediately after the imposition of high tariffs by the US, it is a sign that China is desperately looking for new markets. That is exactly what is happening now,’ comments Robin Brooks.
Back in June, the largest Chinese car manufacturer said: ‘Romania, here we come!’
An example of China’s strategy to aggressively enter European markets is car manufacturer Chery Automobile, the largest in China, announcing in mid-June that it had organized the first official shipment of vehicles to Romania from Wuhu, China, marking a ‘new important moment in the company’s global expansion’ – Romania being a strategic point of access to Europe and a hub for the development of commercial networks.
The company announcement in June was accompanied by a video posted on Chery Romania’s Facebook page, in which Chinese officials from the parent company said: ‘Romania, here we come!’.
Europe faces hardship on several fronts, attacked by USA tariffs as well
Europe faces hardship in several areas of economic competition, the most significant being the fact that European companies pay much higher prices for energy compared to other great economic powers, losing competitiveness. In addition, the EU is lagging behind in artificial intelligence and private financing of innovation, and Europe’s political structures do not allow the practical and rapid implementation of strategies to recover from the gaps.
Another economic shock is added to exporting countries (under the attack of Chinese manufacturers) in the form of the trade war with the US – Brussels having accepted a 15% trade tariff on most European exports, including cars, which further affects the competitiveness of exports to the US compared to goods produced domestically in America, the main market for European exporters.
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