Competitiveness of Moldova’s Agri-food Trade: Challenges and Perspectives

Abstract

One of the conditions for increasing the competitiveness of the national economy of Moldova is the promotion of the export of competitive goods. Considering that the Republic of Moldova is mainly relying on its agri-food sector, and it was granted the status of a candidate country for accession to the European Union, the object of research is the Competitiveness of Moldova’s Agrifood Trade. The principal purpose of this study is to determine the directions for modernizing the structure of the agri-food complex to increase its competitiveness in the context of deepening the integration processes in the European space. The authors assessed the trends and prospects for the trade of food products and agricultural raw materials between Moldova and European Union countries. In this aim statistical and econometric methods were applied. The results of the study showed that a promising direction in the development of economic relations between Moldova and the European Union was the formation of clusters with a high potential for competitiveness. For a better integration into the European food products market with minimal loss, there is a strong need in establishing direct economic links and implementation of joint investment projects.