MOLDOVA INCREASES IMPORTS OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS BY 5.4% IN 2023

Moldova imported over 907.9 thousand tons of oil products in 2023, which is 46.5 thousand tons (5.46%) more than the previous year. According to the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE), gasoline purchases increased from 169.5 thousand to 184.2 thousand tons (+8.69%), diesel fuel from 636.4 to 665.6 thousand tons (+4.58%), and liquefied gas from 55.4 to 58 thousand tons (+4.71%).

Romania remains the main supplier, accounting for 96.8% of gasoline supplies, 68% of diesel fuel, and 54.2% of liquefied gas, although its share decreased by 3.2 percentage points, 16.4 percentage points, and 10.4 percentage points, respectively, during the year. Moldova also imported petroleum products from Kazakhstan, Russia, Bulgaria, Italy, Israel, UAE, India, Nigeria, France, USA, Algeria, Latvia, Greece, and Croatia.

The average price for importing a ton of gasoline ranged from $811.4 (14,356.6 lei) to $1,029.3 (18,519.3 lei), diesel fuel from $759.4 (13,543.7 lei) to $1,022 (18,580.1 lei), and liquefied gas from $551.7 (9,922.7 lei) to $763.8 (14,355 lei).

By the end of last year, the country's petroleum product reserves exceeded 42.4 thousand tons, including 28 thousand tons of diesel fuel, 11 thousand tons of gasoline, and 3.4 thousand tons of liquefied gas, sufficient to cover consumption for 16, 22, and 22 days, respectively.

In Moldova, 42 companies are licensed to import and wholesale gasoline and diesel fuel, while 14 deal with liquefied gas. 80 agents are licensed for retail trade of gasoline and diesel fuel at gas stations, and 69 for liquefied gas.

There are 583 gas stations operating in Moldova, with 425 selling all three types of fuel.