David Baramidze, founder of Auto Market Logistic, has warned that recent increases in service fees by the MIA Service Agency could undermine Georgia’s competitiveness as a regional auto hub.
The fees for several services, including the issuance of external transit plates for vehicles and re-export services for foreigners, are rising sharply. The most notable increase is for transit plates, up 640% from 50 GEL to 370 GEL.
Baramidze stressed that competitors like the United Arab Emirates, which also re-export US-imported cars to markets such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, could gain an advantage if Georgia’s services become more expensive.
He argues that state services should be stabilized or reduced to maintain Georgia’s position as an auto logistics hub, noting that 92,713 passenger cars worth $2.2 billion were exported from Georgia in the first 10 months of 2025, with key destinations including Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan.
