“Europe doesn’t want them”: is it true the EU refuses to buy Moldovan wine and fruit?

On July 10, 2025, Belarusian Radio’s First National Channel discussed the Moldova-EU summit. Kazakov, editor in chief of the Minsk Courier, said integration with Europe would bring “no benefits to Moldovan farmers and the small number of industrialists.

"Moldovan goods can’t be sold anywhere except in Moldova and other former Soviet states. Moldovan wine, frankly, despite being excellent and even popular with Belarusians, doesn’t sell in Europe. There’s simply no demand for it there. Moldovan vegetables and fruit, likewise, no matter how good or high‑quality they are, aren’t needed in Europe."

Reorienting exports from East to West

In 1997, nearly 70% of all Moldovan exports went to the CIS.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics of Moldova confirms this. Back then, Russia remained the country’s main partner. The European Union and the states that joined it later accounted for just 20% of its exports. [*]

But by 2024, the situation had completely reversed. Nearly 70% of Moldova’s exports now go to EU countries. Russia has lost its former status as Moldova’s main consumer: shipments there have fallen nearly twentyfold.

Moldova’s key partners are Romania, Italy, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Turkey. [*]

Wine, fruit: where and how much is exported

In 2024, Moldovan winemakers set a historic record: exports topped $235 million, a 22% increase over the previous year. The growth was driven by premium‑segment wine.

The EU’s share of beverage exports is 30%. [*] That already exceeds the CIS’s 17%. Contrary to Kazakov’s claim, the European market not only buys Moldovan wine but is also increasing its import volumes. Moreover, Moldova has boosted sales outside the CIS and the EU.

The same is true for fruit. For example, apple exports to the EU rose 12% in 2024.

This demonstrates that the Minsk Courier editor in chief’s claim that Moldovan products aren’t in demand in the West doesn’t hold up.