Turnover in wholesale trade (except trade in motor vehicles and motorcycles) increased in the first half of this year, both as gross series (+0.8%) and as a series adjusted according to the number of working days and seasonality (+0.6%), compared with the same period in 2025, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS) data published on Wednesday.

According to official statistics, in 2026, through the end of June, the increase in turnover, as gross series, was driven by results in specialised wholesale trade in other products (+11.6%), wholesale trade in household goods, other than food (+6.8%) and wholesale trade in information and communication equipment (+6.5%).

On the other hand, declines were reported in non-specialised wholesale trade (-13.4%), wholesale trade in agricultural raw materials and live animals (-6.5%), wholesale trade in other machinery, equipment and supplies (-4.5%), wholesale trade intermediation activities (-4.3%) and wholesale trade in food, beverages and tobacco (-4.2%).

As an adjusted series, the turnover in wholesale trade (except trade in motor vehicles and motorcycles) increased overall by 0.6% in the first six months of this year compared with the same period in 2025.

The INS data show that in June 2026 compared with June 2025, turnover in wholesale trade, as gross series, fell by 0.3%, as a result of activity in wholesale trade in agricultural raw materials and live animals (-20.3%), non-specialised wholesale trade (-15.6%), wholesale trade intermediation activities (-14.0%), wholesale trade in food, beverages and tobacco (-4.1%) and wholesale trade in other machinery, equipment and supplies (-2.2%).

In contrast, increases were recorded in wholesale trade in household goods, other than food and wholesale trade in information and communication equipment (+11.4% each), as well as in specialised wholesale trade in other products (+9.6%).

According to the INS, turnover in the same sector of activity, but as an adjusted series, fell by 2.2% year-on-year.

Compared with May 2026, wholesale trade turnover (except trade in motor vehicles and motorcycles) increased by 4.1% in June this year, as gross series, driven by positive results in wholesale trade in information and communication equipment (+13%), wholesale trade in other machinery, equipment and supplies (+11.8%), wholesale trade in agricultural raw materials and live animals (+10.3%), wholesale trade in household goods, other than food (+7.7%), wholesale trade in food, beverages and tobacco (+4.1%), wholesale trade intermediation activities (+2.4%) and non-specialised wholesale trade (+0.5%).

At the other end of the scale was specialised wholesale trade in other products, with a 4.8% decline in turnover during the period under review.

Moreover, turnover in wholesale trade, as an adjusted series, decreased by 0.8% in June 2026 compared with May 2026. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Badea; EN - writing by: Rodica State)