The paper analyses the evolution of Romania’s trade relations with Asia, in a global context marked by geopolitical transformations that have led to restructuring of value chains. The main purpose of the research is to evaluate Romania’s commercial and competitive position on Asian markets, using a descriptive-quantitative methodology based on statistical bases from Trade Map, which examines indicators such as: value, dynamics and share of exports, imports, trade balance, analysing trade dependencies at the level of Asian products and partners. The results reveal an increase in the values of bilateral trade with Asia, simultaneously with a decrease in the share of Asia in Romania’s total trade, determined by a stronger orientation towards the European Union market. At the same time, there is a diversification of export markets and an increase in the value of deliveries to Saudi Arabia, Japan, China and Israel, while Turkey remains the main Asian market, both in terms of geographical proximity and trade agreements. On the other hand, the research highlights relevant trade dependencies regarding iron and steel imports from Turkey and vulnerabilities in high value-added sectors dominated by China. Overall, the structure of trade with Asia indicates a shift towards higher value-added products and an increase in market shares in certain technological niches, but also the persistence of trade imbalances and risks associated with import dependencies. Trade with Asia remains an insufficiently exploited opportunity, with potential for market diversification and an increase in the trade balance.
