Romania's total trade deficit reached EUR 29.77 billion in the first 11 months of 2025, of which approximately EUR 3.65 billion in the food industry and live animals, according to the study "Strengthening national production in strategic agri-food sectors to reduce Romania's trade deficit."
The research was carried out by Penny Romania and the Bucharest School of Economics (ASE), and it analyses the structural vulnerabilities of the food trade and the opportunities for the development of local production, being is part of the directions pledged by the company since 2022, through the "100 business ideas for Romania" project and the 3RO programme.
According to the analysed data, the imbalance is fuelled by a structural problem: Romania exports cheap raw materials and imports processed products, with high added value. The biggest imbalances are concentrated in five strategic sectors: meat, dairy, sweets and snacks, canned vegetables and fruits.
In this context, the TripluRO programme, initiated by the company in 2020, acquires strategic importance at the national level. The model presumes that the main ingredient, the processing and packaging of the products are made in Romania, so that the added value remains in the local economy. The programme is already generating concrete effects: the TripluRO assortment currently represents 55% of the turnover, 68% of the assortment consists of Romanian products, and 87% of Penny's suppliers are Romanian companies.
"The TripluRO programme is a project in which we truly believe and which we are building together with our partners in production and processing, with the university environment and with public institutions. The results so far clearly show that there is a growing demand for Romanian products and an important untapped potential in the food industry. When value chains are properly integrated, value remains in the country, with direct effects on communities, investments and the competitiveness of the Romanian economy," Penny Romania CEO Daniel Gross is quoted as saying in a press release.
The analysis of the study is based on INSSE data for the 2013-2024, complemented by the conclusions of the four round tables organised at the Ministry of Finance, which were attended by ANSVSA, MADR, APIA, AFIR, the Competition Council, representatives of the banking environment, processors and local producers. Discussions highlighted the need for association between farmers, investments in processing, access to finance, legislative predictability and the professionalisation of the workforce.
The study also shows an important development from to the previous edition: while in 2022 seven strategic industries were analysed, in 2022-2025 the deficit was reduced in two of them (pet food and soaps/detergents segment). In the other four - meat, dairy, sweets/snacks/pastries and preserves - the imbalances continued, confirming the need for coordinated public and private action.
It also presents strategic directions necessary to narrow the trade deficit and stimulate national production, including: strengthening local value chains through farmer-processor-retailer cooperation and developing short chains; fiscal predictability and performance-oriented support schemes to stimulate long-term investment; increasing the internal processing capacity and introducing modern technologies; entrepreneurial education for farmers and professional training for agri-food trades; digitalisation and innovation, including the development of a national agricultural data platform and regional agro-industrial hubs; educating consumers to understand the impact of locally sourced products.
According to the report, if all retail networks adopted a similar share of 3RO products, the macroeconomic effects would be considerable: narrowing the trade deficit, increasing GDP, developing the local processing industry and creating jobs in local communities.
A concept of the German group REWE, the Penny network in Romania currently consists of 462 stores nationwide and a team of over 7,500 employees.
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