Since the beginning of the "zero" customs clearance, more than 100,000 used vehicles have been brought to Ukraine. Most of them are cars of an affordable price segment. The Institute of Automotive Research has developed official statistics of imports and identified the 10 most popular car models from abroad, their average age, cost, as well as analyzed the countries from which they are imported.
Dynamics of imports
From April 9 to May 19, Ukrainians brought 90,269 vehicles from abroad for "zero" customs clearance. Of these, 95.7% (54.2 thousand units) were cars, 3.4% were trucks (1.9 thousand units), 0.6% were tractors (354 units) and 0, 3% of buses (155 units).
Compared to the same period last year 2021 (April-May), total imports of used vehicles increased by only 6%. That is, the growth of imports cannot be called multiple, but rather a return to "pre-war" volumes with a small increase.
On the other hand, significant growth is noticeable compared to April 2022, when only 2,118 used vehicles were brought from abroad. In the first month of "zero" customs clearance, Ukrainians imported 33.7 thousand vehicles with mileage, which was almost 15 times more than the previous month.
This situation suggests that with a high probability, in the event of the abolition of "zero" customs clearance, imports will be suspended again and will be 2-3 thousand a month, experts from the Institute of Car Market Research.
From where used cars were brought for zero customs clearance
More than 91% of cars imported from abroad during April-May were purchased in EU countries: 82.3 thousand units. The sharp increase in "European" cars and the decline in "American" cars are primarily due to logistical problems. In January-February, the share of cars from America was almost 28% (17 thousand units), in April-May — only 4.7% (4.3 thousand). Due to the temporarily blocked Ukrainian ports, the delivery of such vehicles has become more difficult and expensive. In addition, the temporary effect of "zero" customs clearance, with a vaguely fixed expiration date, prompted the purchase of a car that can be delivered in a few days or weeks, but not months. For the same reasons, the number of cars from South Korea decreased: from 3.9% (2.4 thousand units) in January-February to 0.8% in April-May (0.8 thousand units).
Neighboring Poland took the first place in the top of the most popular countries. From this country, Ukrainians exported 37.2% of the total number of used cars for "zero" customs clearance — more than 30 thousand cars. In second place was Germany (28.7%, more than 23 thousand cars ). Third place went to Lithuania (13%, 10.5 thousand cars ). The United States, which topped the list of countries from which Ukrainians brought the most cars before the full-scale invasion, dropped to fourth place, with a share of 5.2% and a figure of just over 4,000 cars exported to Ukraine.
The Czech Republic, the Netherlands, France, Slovakia, Belgium and Switzerland are also popular among Ukrainians.
What is the cost of cars brought under "zero" customs clearance
Most Ukrainians need affordable cars in an affordable price range. Statistics confirm this: more than 78% of cars brought "under zero" customs clearance were priced up to $ 5 thousand. Most cars were bought in the price ranges of $ 1-2 thousand (28.2%) and $ 2-3 thousand (19.5%).
The average cost of a used car from abroad, which was brought under "zero" customs clearance, was $ 4268. In January-February, this figure was at $ 4759.
Interestingly, during the period of "zero" customs clearance , the share of cars worth up to $ 1 thousand decreased significantly. In January-February there were 17.2% of such cars (9.8 thousand units), and in April-May — only 6.2% (5.3 thousand units). This can mean two things. First: Ukrainians have stopped underestimating the customs value, because in the absence of customs duties, it does not affect their size. And the second: the amount that Ukrainians are willing to spend on buying a car has not changed, but previously a significant part of these funds were taxes on imports. In their absence, you can spend more on the actual purchase of the car, and therefore buy a slightly more expensive car.
It is also noticeable that the number of imported cars decreases sharply after the mark of $ 10 thousand, and for the entire period of "zero" customs clearance in Ukraine brought only 348 cars worth more than $ 50 thousand (0.4% of the total).
At what age are cars brought from abroad
The average age of cars imported in April-May was 14 years. Most Ukrainians brought cars from 2004-2009. This confirms the thesis that there is no reason to fear the influx of old cars from abroad in the case of the introduction of environmental standards "Euro" only for new cars and the abolition of excise tax on a permanent basis. Even with the complete absence of customs duties and the ability to import cars from 1996, Ukrainians brought mostly cars under 15 years old.
TOP-10 cars brought under "zero" customs clearance
In the top ten most popular used cars from abroad, which Ukrainians brought in April-May for "zero" customs clearance, there are no elite models. The leader is still the Volkswagen Passat. In second place was Volkswagen Golf, and in third place — Skoda Octavia. The fourth, fifth and seventh places were also taken by the VAG brands — Audi A4 and Audi A6, respectively. In general, the cars produced by this concern are in the rankings. more than a third — as many as 11 places out of 30.
Renault Megane took the sixth place, followed by two Opel — Astra and Focus. Closes the top ten Ford Focus.
- Volkswagen Passat
Average price: $ 3,040
Average year of issue: 2007
Quantity: 5 687 pcs.
- Volkswagen Golf
Average price: $ 2,668
Average year of issue: 2006
Quantity: 5 217 pcs.
- Skoda Octavia
Average price: $ 3,172
Average year of issue: 2008
Quantity: 3 566 pcs.
- Audi A6
Average price: $ 4,691
Average year of issue: 2006
Quantity: 2 445 pcs.
- Audi A4
Average price: $ 3,218
Average year of issue: 2005
Quantity: 2 314 pcs.
- Renault Megane
Average price: $ 2,576
Average year of issue: 2009
Quantity: 2 293 pcs.
- Volkswagen Touran
Average price: $ 2,752
Average year of issue: 2007
Quantity: 2 255 pcs.
- Opel Zafira
Average price: $ 2,039
Average year of issue: 2007
Quantity: 2 111 pcs.
- Opel Astra
Average price: $ 2,119
Average year of issue: 2007
Quantity: 1 930 pcs.
- Ford Focus
Average price: $ 2,154
Average year of issue: 2008
Quantity: 1 853 pcs.
Follow the Institute of Car Market Research to get quality information without spam and advertising. Subscribe to the telegram channel to find out first!
Note: the analyst was prepared by experts of the Institute of Car Market Research on the basis of information received by the Peopleʼs Deputies of Ukraine Yaroslav Zheleznyak and Alyona Shkrum in response to the appeal to the State Customs Service.
