Ukraine Surpasses Belarus and Romania in the Sales of Moldovan Alcohol

During the first quarter of 2023, Moldova increased its exports of alcohol and ethyl alcohol by 26.8%. Ukraine became the main market for Moldovan alcoholic products, according to Mold Street, citing data from the National Bank of Moldova.

According to statistical data, Ukraine ranked first among importers of Moldovan alcohol, while Russia lagged behind in eighth place. Ukraine also surpassed Belarus and Romania.

Wine accounts for the majority of Moldova's alcohol exports, comprising 59.2% of the total volume. This represents a 28% increase compared to the same period in 2022. Additionally, exports of undenatured alcohol grew by 3.2 times.

Alcoholic beverages accounted for less than 6% of Moldova's total export volume during the first quarter of 2023.

According to calculations by the National Bank of Moldova, Moldova's alcohol exports to Ukraine increased approximately 6.5 times, reaching $9.40 million compared to $1.44 million in the first quarter of 2022. The trend of increasing alcohol exports from Moldova to Ukraine was observed in the third and fourth quarters of the previous year, with volumes growing nearly fourfold compared to the first and second quarters of 2022.

Ukraine accounts for 17.6% of Moldova's total alcohol export volume, Romania for 17.1%, and Belarus for 14.5%.

Georgia has risen to fourth place among the main importers of Moldovan alcohol, with Moldova exporting products worth $3.32 million to the country.

According to Russian media reports, Georgia has become the main supplier of wine to the Russian market in the first quarter of 2023, partly due to the re-export of Moldovan wine. It is imported in bulk, packaged, and sold as Georgian wine.

In the ranking of the National Bank of Moldova, Russia occupies only the eighth place with a share of 3.4% of the total alcohol exports.

It is worth noting that in June, Moldova signed a free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), which includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. According to Moldova's President Maia Sandu, the agreement between Moldova and the EFTA followed two years of negotiations. She called it another important step towards our economic integration into Europe.

The agreement between Moldova and the EFTA covers trade in goods, services, intellectual property rights, competition, government procurement, and sustainable development.