The turnover generated by Romania’s automotive industry increased by 20% in 2018 compared to 2017, to hit EUR 28 billion according to estimates of the local automotive producers’ association ACAROM, local Ziarul Financiar reported.

It was the fastest annual advance in seven years, with a more significant advance (25%) seen in 2011 when Renault’s Dacia launched the Duster SUV into production.

The notable advance in 2018 was driven by Ford’s plant in Craiova tripling the production of its EcoSport SUV model.

The number of employees in this sector also went up by 5% to 230,000. The output per employer thus went up by some 15%.

The tight labor market remains the sector's biggest problem, despite the investments carried by companies in training new employees, ACAROM head Gabriel Sicoe commented.

The local automotive industry includes two car producers, Dacia and Ford, and more than 400 car parts manufacturers.

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editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Facebook / Ford Romania)