New customs duties of 25% on all goods imported into the US from took effect on August 1
This follows from materials published by the White House. The tariffs came into force despite the Moldovan authorities' efforts to delay their introduction and reduce them. As previously stated by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization, Cristina Ceban, Moldova asked the US authorities for a transition period that would allow the Moldovan authorities to continue the dialogue with the American side to reach a bilateral agreement, including on the possible reduction of duties. Cristina Ceban noted that Chisinau is committed to open dialogue with Washington and believes that Moldova has a chance to reach an agreement on tariff reductions, since most industrial goods imported from the US to Moldova are not subject to duties, which is an advantage for Moldova. "We can negotiate from this position because we offer the US a much more favorable regime than the 25% duty that should be applied to all imported goods. We will negotiate. There is a chance to achieve a reduction. I am not sure how significant this reduction will be, but we will definitely insist that it be tangible and enable our exporters to remain in the US market," the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization emphasized. Earlier, Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization Doina Nistor noted that Moldova will continue its dialogue with the US authorities and negotiations with local producers to identify the most effective options for maintaining competitiveness in the US market. While commenting on the US authorities' decision to introduce new customs duties on imports of goods from Moldova at a rate of 25% from August 1, she noted that this is lower than the rate of 31% initially proposed by the US government more than three months ago. Doina Nistor noted that the US decision to impose 25% customs duties on Moldova was taken in a difficult situation in world trade, and the Moldovan government had taken the necessary steps to minimize the impact of the change in US trade policy. In recent months, direct consultations have been held with Moldovan exporters operating in the US market, and diplomatic and technical negotiations have been conducted with the US authorities, including representatives of the US Trade Representative (USTR). The Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization emphasized that last year the US ranked 14th (with a 2.5% share) among Moldova's largest trading partners. At the same time, Moldovan exports to the US have fallen by 40% in recent months. "We will continue our dialogue with the US authorities, as well as negotiations with local producers to identify the most effective options for maintaining competitiveness in the foreign market. At the same time, we are exploring alternative export markets, especially in the European Union, where three out of four Moldovan goods are already exported. The Moldovan government remains committed to protecting national economic interests and maintaining stable trade relations with the US based on partnership, mutual respect, and balanced decisions," she said. It should be noted that in April 2025, US President Donald Trump announced the US decision to impose import duties on our country at a rate of 31%. Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean said at the time that this decision would affect 2.5% of Moldovan exports, but that the government would provide assistance to entrepreneurs to help them remain competitive. Prime Minister also said that the Moldovan authorities were firmly committed to continuing their strategic partnership with the US, “which has been successfully ongoing for more than 30 years.” //01.08.2025 – InfoMarket.
