Romania retail sales plunge as global trade growth shows signs of slowdown

Eurostat data released on Thursday showed that Romania recorded the steepest drop in retail sales among EU members in April, with a 5.7% decline year‑on‑year and a 2.6% fall compared with the previous month. The downturn was driven by lower sales of fuels, food and non‑food products, pushing the overall retail turnover down 1.4% month‑on‑month.

The World Trade Organization warned that global merchandise trade growth is beginning to slow. While the sector remained resilient in the first half of 2026, the ongoing Middle‑East conflict and shifting demand toward AI‑related electronic components are weighing on trade volumes. The WTO’s commodity trade barometer fell slightly from 102.3 to 101.7 points, indicating a modest deceleration but still above the 100‑point growth threshold.