Two-month foreign investments, $479m

Romania attracted $479.3 million (386.08 million euros) in foreign investment in the first two months of 2004, the data provided by the National Trade Registry Office show. If compared with the same time last year, the foreign investment calculated in dollars rose 263%. By the end of February, 1,239 trading companies with foreign capital contributions had been incorporated, 579 of which established in January and 660 in February. Most of the new companies were set up in February in Bucharest-Ilfov area (222 totalling 7.9 million euros in subscribed capital). Italian investors were the ones that established most of the new companies in February – 184 (27.9% of the total), followed by Germans – 80 firms, Magyars and Turks – 35 firms each. South Korea is the top country of origin for investors: although only five companies with Korean investors were established, the capital subscribed amounted to $6.6 million (5.01 million euros). The Trade Registry has also put together a ranking of the top 40 trading companies based on the foreign contribution to the capital subscribed. The number one in this ranking is Automobile Dacia (French majority investor) with $134 million (108 million euro) investment. ZF