Many manufacturing sectors continue to face high production costs and increasing competition from imported products.

One of the most affected sectors is that of soft drinks, which during 2025 has returned to a sharp decline in production, losing more than half of its volume compared to the previous year.

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture, during 2025, 30.8 million liters of soft drinks were produced in the country. Compared to 2024, production shrank by 55%, falling to the lowest level recorded in more than a decade.

The data show that, with the exception of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic and movement restrictions affected economic and trade activity, the decline in domestic production has started since 2022.

The production of soft drinks in 2022 decreased by about 3% compared to the previous year. The negative trend deepened in 2023, when production fell by 15%.

A slight recovery was recorded in 2024. 68.6 million liters of soft drinks were produced nationwide, or 4% more than in 2023. However, this performance was temporary.

During 2025, the sector suffered a severe blow, with production halving, signaling the worsening difficulties faced by the domestic industry.

The country's largest soft drink producers claim that the industry continues to operate at significantly higher costs than competitors in the region and in European Union countries.

According to them, this puts local producers at a disadvantage compared to imported products, which are increasingly gaining ground in the market.