Ukraine is key destination for Moldovan wines
Photo via EPA

Moldova increased exports of alcohol and ethyl alcohol by 26.8 percent in Q1 2023, with Ukraine becoming the main destination, local publication Mold-street.com reported on Monday.

During the first three months of the year, Ukraine accounted for 17.6 percent of Moldova’s alcohol exports, the figure having increased from USD 1.44 million last year by about 6.5 times, to USD 9.40 million, per the National Bank of Moldova.

Following Ukraine, Belarus and Romania account for 17.1 percent and 14.5 percent of the Moldovan alcohol export, respectively.

Moldova primarily exports wine, accounting for 59.2 percent of total alcohol exports, a 28-percent increase compared to Q1 2022. Exports of undenatured alcohol from Moldova also increased, by 3.2 times.

In total, alcoholic beverages accounted for less than 6% of total exports of goods from Moldova during the period.

An increase in the exports of alcoholic beverages from Moldova to Ukraine took place in Q3 and Q4 2022, by about four times compared to the first half of 2022.

Georgia is the fourth importer of Moldovan alcohol, with a total of USD 3.32 million. It is suspected the Moldovan wine is re-exported from Georgia to Russia; the latter, however, is only the eighth importer, with a share of 3.4 percent.

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