The European Union remained the main export destination for companies in Moldova's separatist Transnistria region in the first half of 2026, accounting for nearly 77% of the region's exports, according to Moldova's Reintegration Bureau cited by Newsmaker.md.

Between January and June, 76.9% of Transnistria's exports were shipped to EU member states, virtually unchanged from the same period a year earlier, the bureau said.

The EU also supplied 41.5% of the region's imports during the period, underlining the bloc's importance as both an export market and a source of goods for businesses operating in the breakaway territory.

Romania, Italy and Slovakia were the largest export destinations for companies from Transnistria, while Ukraine, the European Union and China were the region's main sources of imports.

The Reintegration Bureau said the figures demonstrate the region's continued economic integration with the European market despite its unresolved political status.

"These data confirm the Transnistrian region's strong commitment to the EU trade space, which directly contributes to the country's economic reintegration. This approach brings both banks of the Dniester closer together economically, as access to the European market requires companies in the region to comply with uniform rules, procedures, documents and standards in force throughout Moldova," the bureau said.

The trade data come as the Moldovan government moves to further align the separatist region with the country's fiscal framework. The Ministry of Finance has proposed requiring businesses in Transnistria to pay VAT and excise duties on selected imported goods from August 1, 2026, with the draft legislation currently under public consultation.

The measure is part of a broader reform aimed at gradually eliminating Transnistria's preferential tax regime and integrating the region into Moldova's national tax and customs system by 2030.