BUCHAREST: Romania's trade deficit widened 5.4 percent on the year to 2.29 billion euros ($3.12 billion) in the first five months of 2014, the National Statistics Board said on Thursday.

The statistics board said CIF (cost/insurance/freight) imports rose 7.8 percent to 23.6 billion euros in January-May, while exports grew 8 percent to 21.3 billion euros.

May's trade shortfall was 535 million euros, with exports rising 7.9 percent from the same period of last year.