Moldova is still a typical used car market: in 2025, 45,849 used cars will be imported and 19,339 new cars will be imported...

[Chisinau News] According to Moldova's national broadcasting company Terodio-Moldova quoted data from the country's Customs Administration, Moldova's car imports showed a rare "jump" in 2025: a total of 65,198 passenger cars were cleared throughout the year. If other transportation categories are included, the total is 65,482. In 2024, this number will be only 30,191 vehicles. Customs statistics show that Moldova imported more than 35,000 new vehicles in one year, an increase of more than 115%, setting a record in recent years.

The surge in imports also pushed up fiscal accounts. Data provided by the Customs Administration to Terodio-Moldova shows that in 2025, the country will receive approximately 2.1 billion lei in consumption tax (Excise) and approximately 4.6 million lei in value-added tax (VAT) and other income from automobile imports. For comparison, customs revenue related to automobile imports in 2024 will be approximately 1.06 billion lei, almost doubling within one year.

From the perspective of power structure, Moldova is still dominated by fuel vehicles, but the growth of hybrid vehicles is significant. Customs data disclosed that among the imported vehicles in 2025, there are about 45,320 traditional models such as gasoline/diesel; 17,446 hybrid cars; and 2,432 pure trams. From the perspective of the "old and new" structure, Moldova is still a typical used car market: 45,849 used cars and 19,339 new cars will be imported in 2025.

Why suddenly "doubled"? Experts interviewed pointed the reason to "tax reform expectations." Economist Marin Gospodarenko told the media that when the market expects changes in import taxes, consumption taxes or rules, residents and importers tend to concentrate on buying cars in advance "to avoid future price increases." He mentioned that Moldova had discussed a tax reform: it planned to cancel the consumption tax linked to engine displacement from January 1, 2026, and instead impose a 20% value-added tax based on the customs taxable price of vehicles. At the same time, it may also adjust the customs valuation formula and propose clearer restrictions on vehicle age and environmental protection standards. The reform was announced to be extended in October 2025, with the official explanation being the need to establish a more transparent vehicle value evaluation system. Before the new decision was issued, Moldova still used the old system-consumption tax, customs duty and luxury car tax, etc. continued to be implemented.

In addition to policy expectations, external market conditions are also fueling the flames. Gospodarenko said that the prices of used cars in Europe are gradually "easier to buy", and the relative stability of the Moldovan Leu has increased the cost performance of imports. At the same time, the phased return of some expatriates, the aging domestic fleet, and the urgent need for family travel have all Let import demand be released in a concentrated manner in 2025. He emphasized that doubling the number of customs clearance does not necessarily mean a significant increase in residents 'wealth, but is more like the result of the superposition of "tax expectations, price windows, overseas Chinese remittances and actual travel needs."

In the high-end car sector, the most expensive customs clearance car in 2025 is the Ferrari Purosangue (F175). Moldova 1 reported that the car starts at about 400,000 euros in Europe, can exceed 600,000 euros at high configurations, and the cost of customs clearance for a single vehicle may exceed 60,000 euros. Registration data from the National Public Service Agency of Moldova shows that the total number of registered vehicles nationwide has exceeded 1.391 million.

[Brief Comment] This round of imports in Moldova is more like a "policy-driven window market": once the 20% value-added tax model is put on the agenda again in the future, the import cost structure will be completely rewritten, especially affecting price-sensitive used cars and entry-level new cars. Another noteworthy signal is that the proportion of hybrid vehicles is close to 30% of total imports, indicating that local consumers are more inclined to compromise between "oil price, reliability, and vehicle cost." If China brands plan to enter Moldova or use it as a regional sales node, they should pay attention in advance to whether the tax reform will be restarted, the progress of transparency in customs valuation, and the pace of possible tightening of vehicle age and emission standards-these are often more important than the price of a single model. It determines whether an order can be implemented.

Source of information:https://nokta.md/import-avtomobilej-v-moldovu-vyros-vdvoe-65-tysyach-mashin-za-god-i-rekordno-dorogoj-ferrari/

Source: Guangdong Good Car

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