Enhanced customs procedures and trade infrastructure have transformed Georgia into a regional hub for the car trade since 2005. Successful reforms have enabled the economy to become a car-exporting country without its own car production industry. In the beginning, car re-exports were directed to its immediate neighbors Azerbaijan and Armenia, with destination markets diversified later. After continued growth during 2005-13 (with the exception of 2009), car exports fell sharply in 2014-16 due to the introduction of Euro-4 regulations in Azerbaijan coupled with the regional economic slowdown. However, car re-exports have recovered since 2017 as regional economies stabilized. Azerbaijan and Armenia are the largest export markets, with 71% of the total car re-exports in 2018. We expect car exports to traditional and new markets to grow, taking into account their improved economic outlook and low levels of car ownership.
Auto business turnover posted impressive growth of 14.8% CAGR over 2010-18, reaching GEL 2.6bn in 2018, up 17.6% y/y. The sector’s net profit margin averaged 5.1% in 2015-17 – in line with the total trade sector’s average of 5.2%. Car imports generated more than GEL 123mn in excise tax revenues in 2018 while car re-exports – Georgia’s second-largest export category – stood at US$ 408.3mn.
Government policy targets environmental and safety issues, addresses auto park renewal by making car ownership costly. With environmental and safety issues in mind, the Georgian government increased excise taxes on cars and fuel in 2017 and rolled out a mandatory vehicle inspection program in 2018. The government has also introduced a property tax on cars, pilot paid zonal parking, and car-sharing schemes, among other initiatives. Tax measures have incentivized hybrid car ownership, which has risen to over 48,600 cars in 2018 from 1,198 cars in 2015. This is only expected to continue. Despite growth in recent years, fully electric car ownership overall is low, with only 1,231 cars registered as of 2018. The development of charging infrastructure, the launch of an electric vehicle production plant, free parking facilities for electric vehicles and other government initiatives are set to support greater electric car presence in Georgia in the coming years.
Changes in excise tax structure expected to renew country’s outdated auto park. Georgia has one of the oldest passenger car stocks in the region at an average age of 20.3 in 2017 – higher than Poland (17.3), Romania (16.2), Lithuania (15.5), Russia (13.1) and Ukraine (19.6). Importantly, higher excise taxes on old cars and fuel from 2017 already yielded positive results in auto park renewal. Over 2017-18, 36.2% of the cars that received state registration were under seven years old, up from 9.4% of total clearance over 2012-16.
Georgia lags behind developed countries by number of private passenger cars per capita, showing room for further growth. On a per 1,000 capita basis, private passenger car penetration in Georgia is only 256 – far below the ratios found in Latvia (322), Estonia (419) and Russia (307) but still above Azerbaijan (112) and Turkey (147). We believe that actual car penetration number in Georgia is lower as official statistics incorporates idle vehicles and ongoing vehicle inspection program expected to reveal real numbers by the end of 2019.
The main catalysts shaping the future demand on cars will be the growing number of women drivers, the gradual renewal of auto park and rising household incomes. Despite the rising number of Georgian female drivers, out of the 1.23mn people in the country who hold a valid driver’s license, only 23% are women, showing room for further expansion. On top of this, mandatory technical inspection is expected to force drivers to move to relatively newer cars as 81.4% of vehicles registered in Georgia are already 12+ years old. Mandatory inspection also raises demand for auto parts and repair services. All of these, together with strong demand for car re-exports, are expected to drive auto sector revenue in the coming years.
