Romania's commercial deficit decreased significantly in the first quarter of the year, due to the economic crisis, AFP informs. Compared to the same period, last year, the commercial deficit dropped by 54.8% to 1.995 billion euro, Romania's National Statistics Institute informed.

This record decrease indicates a drop of imports by 35.4% to 8.56 billion euro since many companies and factories reduced their activities. Exports, at their turn, dropped by 19.4% to 6.561 million euro.

Available data for March 2009 revealed that commercial exchanges improved steadily with a 23% increase in exports and 8.4% of imports.