Aze.US
Proposed restrictions on vehicles older than six years could disrupt regional transit routes and reshape supply flows.
Tbilisi is preparing to tighten regulations on automobile imports, a move that could have direct consequences for Azerbaijan’s car market. Under the proposed initiative, the import and initial registration of passenger vehicles older than six years may be banned. Georgian authorities frame the measure as part of efforts to improve environmental conditions and renew the national vehicle fleet.
For the wider region, however, the decision could complicate logistics for businesses that ship cars through Georgia to third countries. For years, a large share of vehicles purchased in the United States and elsewhere has reached Azerbaijan via Georgian ports. If entry for cars older than six years is fully prohibited, transit for seven-year-old and older vehicles could effectively halt, disrupting customs clearance procedures and breaking the existing supply chain.
An alternative scenario under discussion would limit the restriction to domestic registration within Georgia. In that case, vehicles could not be used locally but might still be eligible for transit or re-export to Azerbaijan. Such an approach would end sales of older cars inside Georgia while allowing at least part of the flow toward the Azerbaijani market to continue.
The key uncertainty now lies in the technical scope of the proposed ban – whether it will apply only to registration or extend to the physical entry of vehicles into the country. Greater clarity is expected once the final text of the decision is released, which will determine the outlook for both individual buyers and companies involved in regional car imports.