Trade between Romania and the United States grew faster than investment flows in 2025, with future expansion of bilateral economic cooperation depending largely on Romania's ability to provide an attractive investment environment in sectors of interest to U.S. investors, representatives of the American Chamber of Commerce in Romania (AmCham Romania) maintain.

In the latest edition of its Romania-U.S. Economic Relations analysis, AmCham outlinesthe main trends shaping bilateral economic ties and the prospects for strengthening the partnership as a long-term driver of Romania's economic growth.

According to an AmCham press release, stronger trade, sustained U.S. investment concentrated in strategic sectors such as technology, business services and advanced manufacturing, together with sectoral partnerships in energy and defence, have reinforced the United States' position among Romania's key economic partners. Rising Romanian exports to the U.S. market also reflect the growing competitiveness of Romania's economy and strengthen its standing as a reliable business partner.

The United States ranks as Romania's fourth-largest foreign investor and the largest investor from outside the European Union. It is also the 15th-largest destination for Romanian exports of goods and services.

According to the latest data for 2025, Romanian exports of goods and services to the United States reached USD 6.4 billion, while imports from the U.S. totalled around USD 3 billion.

Services exports rose to a record more than USD 4 billion, up 19% from 2024 and accounting for 8% of Romania's total services exports. Information technology and communications services represented around 60% of that figure, or USD 2.4 billion, marking a 25% annual increase. Imports of services from the United States also rose sharply, increasing by 65%, led by business services, IT&C and intellectual property.

Exports of goods exceeded USD 2.3 billion, up 5% from a year earlier and nearly double the level recorded a decade ago. Around half of all exported goods consisted of industrial equipment and transport equipment, followed by manufactured products.

The stock of U.S. foreign direct investment in Romania exceeded USD 9 billion, representing around 7% of the country's total FDI stock.

'This bilateral momentum, analysed in detail in AmCham Romania's report, reflects the broader development of transatlantic economic relations, which continued to expand despite changes affecting global trade and investment, reaching a record level of around USD 10 trillion in 2025 and remaining the world's largest and most integrated economic relationship. Although official trade statistics do not include defence procurement, it represents an important component of bilateral cooperation, complemented by the contribution of U.S. companies in strategic areas such as the development of dual-use technologies,' the press release says.

According to AmCham, advancing bilateral economic cooperation will depend on Romania's ability to create favourable investment conditions in sectors of strategic interest to American investors.

'The economic relationship between Romania and the United States is on a solid trajectory today, but the partnership's full potential can only be realised in a stable and predictable environment. Against the backdrop of investment caution that characterised 2025, prolonged domestic political tensions and their impact on the business environment are causing concern among investors. Romania can no longer compete solely through lower costs or its geographical position. Investors increasingly value a predictable environment, the implementation of structural reforms and the development of infrastructure and skills needed for the economy of the future. We need all of these to attract high-value American investment with long-term impact,' said AmCham Romania President Vlad Boeriu, as quoted in the press release.

The organisation recalls the findings of its latest AmCham Business Barometer, which shows that investors remain confident in Romania's long-term potential but are more cautious about investment plans. In this context, policy predictability and the ability to implement reforms are becoming decisive factors in maintaining Romania's competitiveness, AmCham stresses. Among the top priorities for retaining and attracting investment, the organisation's U.S. member companies identified predictable public policies and macroeconomic stability, cutting red tape alongside the digitalisation of public services, a competitive tax framework, a coherent economic policy, maintaining a sustained pace of infrastructure investment, and strengthening the rule of law.

'Combined with Romania's recognised strengths - including the quality of its digital and cybersecurity infrastructure, resilient supply chains, a favourable labour cost-to-productivity ratio, and key anchors of confidence such as its membership of NATO and the European Union, as well as the prospect of OECD accession - these public policies will help strengthen Romania-U.S. economic relations by retaining existing investors and attracting new high value-added investment. At a time when investors are increasingly seeking stable, competitive economies capable of delivering strategic projects, Romania has an opportunity to reinforce its position as an attractive destination for U.S. investment and as a trusted partner in the transatlantic economy. AmCham Romania will continue to support this objective through its agenda of promoting bilateral economic relations and advocating reforms that enhance the competitiveness of the Romanian economy,' the press release stresses.

The analysis is based on data from the National Bank of Romania (BNR), the National Institute of Statistics (INS) and Eurostat, while figures on the transatlantic economy are drawn from The Transatlantic Economy 2026, published by AmCham EU and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Defence procurement is not included in the analysis.

AmCham Romania represents more than 600 American, international and Romanian companies with combined investments of over USD 30 billion in Romania. Its member companies employ more than 250,000 people and generate combined annual revenues exceeding EUR 65 billion. AGERPRES/(RO - writing by: Andreea Marinescu; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)