Moscow to extend ban on trucks from ‘unfriendly countries’ – RBK
The Russian government will extend a ban on cargo transit by road for companies from countries that have placed similar restrictions on Moscow, RBK reported on Thursday, citing sources close to discussions on the matter.
The ban, which was initially introduced in October and was due to expire on December 31, will now be extended until June 30, 2023, according to the report.
Under the ban, companies from the EU, Norway, Ukraine, and the UK are not allowed to transport goods through Russia by road. Restrictions apply to both bilateral and transit goods transportation, as well as cargo transportation to or from the territory of a third state. Goods delivery to final recipients in Russia is still carried out, but only after the cargo is reloaded from foreign trucks to Russian and Belarusian vehicles at the border.
The ban was a response to similar restrictions imposed by these countries on Russian trucks as part of Western sanctions on Moscow earlier this year.
The Russian Ministry of Transportation and Ministry of Industry and Trade have so far declined to comment on the report.
According to Yevgeny Antipov, deputy head of the Russia-based association of international road carriers ASMAP, the countries which imposed sanctions on Russian truckers “flagrantly violated international law, which could not remain unanswered.”
He noted that, thanks to Moscow’s reciprocal ban, Russian companies had obtained an opportunity to participate in the delivery of European cargo on the part of routes that run through Russia, which helps them offset financial losses due to Western sanctions.
“We gave our carriers work, the price [of goods] did not increase due to transshipment on the border, [the ban] only slightly affected delivery time,” Valery Alekseev, vice president of the Russian Automobile Transport Union, told RBK.
The ban exempts some products, including various types of food, manufactured goods and certain non-food items. Cargo delivery to or from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad is also exempt from restrictions.
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