Romania trade deficit widens in Jan-Aug

BUCHAREST, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Romania's trade deficit

widened by 4 percent to 6.3 billion euros ($8.12billion) on the year in the first eight months, the NationalStatistics Board said on Wednesday.

The statistics board said CIF (cost/insurance/freight)imports rose 1.2 percent to 36.0 billion euros inJanuary-August, while exports were up 0.7 percent to 29.7billion euros.

Analysts expect exports to be significantly hit this year bythe debt crisis in the euro zone, Romania's main trade partner.

The August trade shortfall was 1 billion euros, with exportsposting a 0.6 percent rise.

Romania once ran a large trade shortfall that left itexposed to a financing crisis and seeking international aid butthe gap has narrowed sharply as a deep recession in 2009 and2010 weakened the currency and hit domestic consumption.($1 = 0.7754 euros)

(Reporting by Sam Cage and Ioana Patran)

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Keywords: ROMANIA ECONOMY/TRADE