Exports, a positive contribution of 7.3 percent to the dynamic of the 2009 GDP

Contracting imports and consumption by the public administration have attenuated by 7.1 percent Romania's economic slump in 2009 from the year before. Data released on Monday by Chairman of the National Statistics Institute (INS) Vergil Voineagu show net exports having had a positive contribution of 7.3 percent to the dynamic of the 2009 Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while final consumption of the public administration had a 0.1-percentage-point positive contribution.

Imports declined at a faster pace than exports in 2009, 32 percent to 13.7 percent, respectively, year on year.Investment had a negative contribution of 8.1 percent to the 2009 GDP dynamic and household consumption also had a 6.8-percent negative contribution. Variations in inventories had a 0.4-percebt positive contribution to the GDP.

Romania reported a 7.1-percent economic decline in 2009, while economic slump in EU-27 was 4.2 percent.The construction sector, once the engine for Romania's economic growth, declined 13.6 percent in 2009, with its contribution to the GDP formation going down to 9.8 percent, from 10.6 percent in 2008.

Voineagu said the trend of falling weight of agriculture in the GDP formation is worrying, given that 30 percent of Romania's economically active population works in agriculture.After continually raising in 2003-2008, the weight of investment into the GDP plummeted to 25.6 percent in 2009.