Such conclusions can be drawn from an analytical article about the Lithuanian used car market, published by the lrt.lt publication.
The main factor that made purchasing more difficult is the price increase. According to the head of the online project Autoplius.lt, Artūras Mizaras, the cost of cars in Lithuania has increased by 30% over the past year (the biggest price jump occurred in the fall of 2020). The price increase was influenced by the fact that due to quarantine restrictions, it became more difficult to import used cars from other countries to Lithuania, which reduced supply, while demand fell only slightly.
The Lithuanian second-hand market has indeed become less extensive. Before the pandemic, one could choose from 1,500 cars on the market, but now there are about 300. "Previously, an average of 10 car carriers arrived per day. Now, there are two per week," the director of the Kaunas car market, Valentinas Naujanis, told journalists.
In addition, it has become more difficult to get to Lithuania itself – additional expenses have appeared, such as taking a mandatory COVID-19 test when crossing the border. According to local traders, Ukrainians come to the market, but to cover costs, they buy cars in large batches – even 10 at a time.
"In Ukraine, cars have become cheaper, and in Lithuania – more expensive. The difference between buying here and selling in Ukraine has narrowed, and now we earn much less. And even when you come here [to Lithuania – ed.] to the market, it is difficult to choose [a car – ed.] from such a small selection," Ruslan Bekhter, a car buyer from Ukraine, told the Lithuanian media.
