Moldova's free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) will enter into force on April 1
Economic Development and Digitalization Minister Dumitru Alaiba announced this during a briefing on Friday. He noted that, thanks to this, producers from Moldova will be able to export their products to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein without paying customs duties or with significantly reduced duties. Dumitru Alaiba said that the official entry into force of the free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) means an increase in Moldovan exports to these countries and in investments from the EFTA states. Thus, new markets for Moldovan products will be opened and new investments will be attracted to our economy. The Economic Development and Digitalization Minister recalled that Moldova signed a historic free trade agreement with EFTA in June 2023. During the next 2 years, the agreement was ratified by all the signatory states, and from April 2025, Moldovan entrepreneurs will benefit from this great opportunity. Dumitru Alaiba urged the entrepreneurs to take full advantage of the new opportunity and to show that Moldovan products are synonymous with quality and competitiveness. “Our products have been conquering the EU market year after year, and now it is the turn of the EFTA markets. I am convinced that success awaits us here as well, because Moldova's main wealth is its people: hardworking, ambitious and determined to succeed!” stated the Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization. He said that among the Moldovan products with great export potential to the EFTA countries are: wine and strong alcoholic drinks, a sector that has already been recognized on the European markets; grapes and fresh fruits - apples, plums, cherries; natural honey, a product with high added value; sunflower oil and oilseeds, products whose exports to Switzerland have increased; packaging, a product whose demand is constantly growing; clothes and footwear, especially textile products with added value. Dumitru Alaiba specified that in recent years, the Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic and Liechtenstein markets accounted for 31% of Moldova's exports of parts for heating appliances and 30% of exports of numerical control panels. E-commerce in Moldova is constantly developing: the annual growth of online sales is more than 30%. Thus, the agreement with EFTA offers great opportunities in this sector. EFTA markets are large consumers of goods purchased online. In Switzerland, the volume of e-commerce in 2023 was estimated at $14 billion and in Norway at $9 billion. As the Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization noted, the Moldovan government supports entrepreneurs and will provide them with all the necessary support to take advantage of this historic opportunity. The Investment Agency and the Moldovan diplomatic missions in these countries will always be close to our producers, providing them with assistance and information. The Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization will continue to cooperate with business associations and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry to inform entrepreneurs. In this context, the Guidelines on exports to EFTA countries, elaborated at the end of last year by the partners of the Moldova Institutional and Structural Reforms Activity, published on the Ministry's website and available for public consultations, are important. // 28.02.2025 - InfoMarket
