Romania's balance-of-payments current account posts a deficit of 2,053 million euros, Jan.-April, 2018

In January - April 2018p, the balance-of-payments current account posted a deficit of 2 053 million euros, compared with 1 786 million eurosin January - April 2017; the deficit on trade in goods widened by 414 million euros, according to a press statement released on Wednesday by the National Bank of Romania (BNR). 

"In January - April 2018, the balance-of-payments current account posted a deficit of EUR 2 053 million, compared with EUR 1 786 million in January - April 2017; the deficit on trade in goods widened by EUR 414 million, the surplus on services income narrowed by EUR 143 million, the deficit of the primary income balance contracted by EUR 354 million, and the surplus of the secondary income balance decreased by EUR 64 million," according to BNR. 

Romania's long-term external debt at end-April 2018 stood at 67,730 million euros (71.2 percent of total external debt), down 1.3 percent from end-2017, while short-term external debt at end-April 2018 amounted to 27,340 million euros(28.8 percent of total external debt), up 10 percent against end-2017. 

Long-term external debt service ratio ran at 19.9 percent in January - April 2018 against 23.9 percent in 2017. At end-April 2018, goods and services import cover stood at 5.3 months, a level similar to that of end-2017 (5.4 months). 

At end- April 2018, the ratio of the National Bank of Romania's foreign exchange reserves to short-term external debt by remaining maturity came in at 82.1 percent, against 87.2 percent at end-2017.