The total value of all imports in the month of February 2023 amounted to 7.4 billion dollars, a decrease of 8.0% compared to the value of imports in February 2022. Cumulatively in January – February 2023 there was an increase of 0.7% compared to January – February 2022.
From the data of January 2023 it appears that there was an increase in the marketing quantities of gasoline and diesel at the rates of 13.9% and 17.6% respectively. The increase in gasoline is mainly explained by a decrease in mobility in the economy in January 2022 following an increase in Omicron morbidity. The increase in diesel is due to the consequences of the reform in the taxation of fuel substitutes.
Import of vehicles
In February 2023, an import of 30,304 vehicles (private) was recorded compared to 23,258 in February 2022, an increase of 30.3%. Commercial vehicle imports amounted to 1,177 vehicles compared to 1,592 in February 2022, a decrease of 26.1%.
The increase in the import of passenger vehicles is explained by the high import of vehicles in February 2023 and this despite a massive advance of the import of vehicles in December 2022. The high import is apparently due to an increase in the exchange rate, due to an increase in the supply of vehicles.
In the months of January-February 2023, the import of passenger vehicles amounted to 46,944 compared to 45,072 in the same period last year, a moderate increase of 4.2%. Imports of commercial vehicles decreased by 20.7% during this period and reached the volume of -2,238.
The trend data indicates an increase in the import of passenger vehicles starting in May 2022.
Electrical and electronic products
In February 2023, compared to February 2022, there was a sharp increase in the import of white electrical goods. In refrigerators, washing machines, clothes dryers and dishwashers there was an increase of 87.3%, 139.8%, 153.6% and 43.4% respectively.
Cumulatively, in the months of January-February 2022, imports of the white electrical goods increased more moderately compared to the corresponding period last year. Imports of refrigerators, washing machines, clothes dryers and dishwashers increased by 30.9%, 71.2%, 27.1% and 5.7% respectively.
In the import of televisions, a decrease of 24.1% was recorded in February 2023 compared to February 2022. In aggregate, there is an increase of 21.6%.
In February 2023, there was a 4.0% decrease in cigarette import quantities, which is apparently due to an increase in purchases from abroad. The decrease in quantities is parallel to the increase in the value of imports. It is possible that the explanation for this is an increase in prices and exchange rates. In revenue from the purchase tax on the import of cigarettes, an increase was recorded at the rate of 2.8 %.
The value of other tobacco imports, which includes smoking tobacco, hookah tobacco, pipe tobacco, cigars and heating tobacco units, decreased in February 2023 by 25.8% compared to February 2022. As mentioned, part of the decrease is explained by a return to purchases abroad. Revenues from the purchase tax on other tobacco decreased at a more moderate rate of 6.8%.