Romania’s trade deficit (chart) narrowed by 15% year on year to €28.9bn in 2023 and the gap-to-GDP ratio narrowed from 11.9% in 2022 (the widest value in the past decade) to 9.1% in 2023 (preliminary bne IntelliNews estimate), according to data published by the statistics office INS. But December showed a different picture: the widest trade gap (nominally) in the past decade, as well (€3.43bn, +11% y/y). Whether the sudden deterioration of Romania’s external balance in December heralds a change in trends will be shown in the coming months. But it is already clear that the improvement in the tr…