End of the journey to the West for Russian carriers

April 11, 2022 at 1:37 PM , Der AUDITOR
Play report as audio

BRUSSELS. As part of the fifth major sanctions package against Russia, carriers from Russia and Belarus have been banned from crossing EU borders since Saturday. This is intended to hit the Russian economy even harder. However, there are some exceptions for the time being.

No Russian ships and trucks on EU territory

The European Union (EU) has launched the fifth major package of sanctions against Russia - all 27 member states had given their consent. The main impact is on freight transport, both by road and by sea; in principle, Russian and Belarusian container ships and trucks have been banned from entering the EU since Saturday. But there are exceptions.

Agricultural products exempted

For example, the Polish news site Auto Swiat, citing the Ministry of Infrastructure, reports that the ban does not apply to imports of natural gas and crude oil, various metals, pharmaceutical and medical products, agricultural products and foodstuffs such as wheat as well as fertilisers with a corresponding licence, among others. It should be noted that Russian and Belarusian shipping companies and ship operators are affected by the bans, but according to the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (Zentralverband der Deutschen Seehafenbetriebe; ZDS), a large part of the maritime traffic between Germany and Russia is handled by non-Russian ships, as the ZDS announced to transport-online.de, among others. More detailed information is to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union in the near future.

How will Russia react?

Trucks of Russian and Belarusian hauliers already in the EU are required to have left the EU by the end of the transition period on 16 April. The Polish ministry warns that Russia could impose a similar ban on transports from the EU and advises drivers from Poland to leave the country as soon as possible.

View related articles

Go to the News Overview
Nuts
Dec 22, 2023
AMSTERDAM/MANILA. With Houthi rebel attacks on vessels effectively blocking the Suez Canal cargo is delayed and freight rates have risen suspiciously fast. While Danone has denied reports of short-term supply chain delays, agri-food suppliers dealing in Asia and east Africa have issued stark warnings to their customers.
EU regulations
Sep 3, 2020
FRANKFURT/BRUSSELS. Talks over the possible introduction of a hydrocyanic acid limit for flaxseed for human consumption are currently underway throughout Europe. The Auditor has contacted the European Commission and a leading flaxseed trader in Belgium to find out more.
Alerts and Regulations
Apr 2, 2020
LUHANSK. A "Mundus Agri" correspondent, living in the Luhansk People's Republic, outlines the enormous impact the outbreak of the new coronavirus has on daily life. The first infection has only recently been confirmed. Measures to contain the virus are only starting to be implemented.