Exports from Romania totalled € 22 billion FOB in 2005, and grew with 37% until 2011. Obviously, many west European companies have acted to benefit from the Romanian low cost, high quality sourcing. Maybe your competitors are part of them already….. Strengths supporting the competitiveness of Romanian exports are clear : • The country provides highly qualified human resources. 75 000 student graduate from Romanian Universities every year, 25% in technical higher education. Most of them are fluent in two foreign languages. • Sourcing is low cost. The average gross salary in Romania is € 380 per month. • From 2005 to 2011, the local currency lost 20% versus €, which reduces again the cost of local exports. • The western part of the country has a tradition for producing to Western European quality standards, and its professionalism is well-known. • Romania is part of the European cultural sphere; businessmen have a similar mentality and to some extend lifestyle as in Western Europe. • Local natural resources (agriculture, wood, tourism, oil…) support the export capability in a number of activities. • There is a good quality transport infrastructure (15 000 kilometres of national roads), railways and river freight (Danube). • For those interested in having a local production base, other advantages accrue: the tax on profit rate is 16% only; many industrial parks exist where incentives are provided, and real estate is amongst the cheapest in Europe. • € is usual as a contractual currency, thus avoiding the risk of exchange loss. On a non exclusive basis, there is export capability in the following sectors: IT and software, furniture, administrative outsourcing, electrical equipment, agriculture and wine, inward processing for textiles and shoes … For more information, please contact us.