Over 700 authorizations to export to EU issued this year

The Ministry of Economy and Trade during the first three months of this year issued 737 authorizations allowing to export wine, barley, corn and white sugar to the European Union, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting the Ministry. Twenty-three Moldovan wine companies were issued with 238 authorizations to export 22,500 hectoliters of wine or 32% of the volume planned for 2009. Among the most active national exporters of wine to the EU are Vinaria Bostavan SRL, Suvorov-Vin SRL and Asconi SRL. The Moldovan semi-sweet wines are the most popular in the European countries. There were also issued 350 authorizations to export white sugar - 38.8% of the export quota, 65 authorizations to export 5,776 tonnes of barley – 15.1%, and 84 authorizations to export corn – 9.4%. Under the autonomous trade preferences, the EU granted Moldova the following export quotas for this year: 70,000 hectoliters of wine, 30,000 tonnes of wheat, 25,000 tonnes of barley, 20,000 tonnes of corn and 18,000 tonnes of white sugar. The export authorizations are issued by the Ministry of Economy and Trade free of charge, at request. Moldova was granted autonomous trade preferences on March 1, 2008. The quotas offered by the EU for this year are by 25% larger than last year. Trade between Moldova and the EU after the granting of autonomous trade preferences rose by 23.9% in 2008 from a year before to $2.9 billion, making up 45% of Moldova’s commercial exchanges. Exports to the EU countries last year totaled $820.1 million, 51.4% of Moldova’s total exports.