The number of used vehicles imported in Bulgaria in 2007 increased by 100 to 120 per cent as compared to 2006, Stoyan Zhelev, chair of the managing council of the Bulgarian union of vehicle importers said.

The vehicles imported were mainly aged more than 10 years.

No final figures were available for the import of new vehicles, but the trend was slower increase, he said as quoted by Focus news agency.

The increase was estimated at 20 per cent, compared to a 50 per cent increase in 2005 and a 35 per cent increase in 2006.

Mainly private customers were buying old vehicles, while the companies would buy new ones.

Unlike Bulgaria, Romania managed to stop the flow of “automobile trash” by the introduction of a differentiated tax for harmful emissions of imported cars and practically ceased the import of cars older than four to five years.