site.btaAmerican Cars Enter Bulgarian Market through Their European Branches - Expert

American cars on the Bulgarian market go through their European branches, get certified under the European standards, and get sold as new vehicles from Europe, even though they may have been produced in the US, said Stanislav Panchev, a member of the Association of Car Manufacturers and Their Authorized Representatives for Bulgaria Board of Directors, in an interview for BTA on Friday. The interview was taken in light of US President Donald Trump's planned and subsequently postponed tariffs as well as the European Union's prepared reciprocal measures.

Imports of American cars are difficult to measure, as the registration of used cars at the traffic police does not take into account their origin. Panchev reported that if a customer or a dealer decides to import a car from the US today, it would be subjected to a 10% duty. The ongoing trade war, however, makes the future hard to predict. If additional duties are imposed and remain in force in the long term, this will strain the automotive industry significantly, both for new and used vehicles.

Panchev noted that the larger automakers are European, Japanese, Korean and even Chinese. American brands are less present in Europe than European ones are in the US. The expert added that the manufacturers themselves may have to partially subsidize prices in their production calculations to protect the end consumer from price shock, but either way, there will be a "market shuffle" in which some will gain competitive positions and others will lose. "Hopefully [the situation] will calm down, and there won't be such big charges," Panchev said.

Asked about the most popular American brands in Bulgaria, Panchev said that Ford stands out, as it is considered a European brand, even though it is part of an American structure. He also mentioned Jeep, a part of the Stellantis group, as common both in the European and the Bulgarian markets. Some of Jeep's models are produced in Europe, while others come from across the pond.

MOTO EXPO 2025, the largest specialized motorcycle exhibition in Bulgaria, was officially opened in Sofia on Friday and will last until April 14. The two most popular American motorcycle brands, Harley Davidson and Indian Motorcycle, were both exhibited at the forum. Currently no duties are applied on motorcycles from the US, however, manufacturers are under pressure. Panchev has spoken to Harley Davidson importers, who said that under the previous Donald Trump administration, when duties on motorcycles were increased, the manufacturer took some of the burden by subsidizing the price, so that it would not affect end users. "This cannot continue indefinitely in the long term, because it is a drag on every single manufacturer," he said.

The expert said that American motorcycles target a more specific market segment. The most popular brand in Bulgaria is Honda, which makes sense, as it is also the best-selling motorcycle manufacturer in the world. Popular European brands include BMW, Piaggio and Vespa. Japan's Yamaha and Suzuki also sold well in 2024. Chinese brands are yet to gain market share in Europe, with CFMOTO being one of the brands that sold well.