Alyaksandr Lukashenka has discussed with the head of the Main Customs Committee the details of reorienting cargo traffic from the Baltic direction to the Russian port of Ust-Luga.
Lukashenka asked Yury Syanko about the situation on the borders with Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Ukraine.
“Especially with regard to the two Baltic states — Lithuania and Latvia, as you have reported to me, almost 40% of the trucks that carry cargo to Belarus this year come from Lithuania and Latvia. This is a huge volume. If we deal with this flow, the logistics centers of Lithuania will not receive about a quarter,” Lukashenka noted.
Discussions are underway with Russian specialists about redirecting Belarusian cargo with oil products, potash fertilizers and other goods from the Baltic direction to the port of Ust-Luga.
“We have created powerful logistics centers. A lot of services, including for our business entities and for entities of the EAEU countries, are provided in Lithuania. But, as far as I am informed, we can provide these services to the carriers in Belarus. How do you see the solution to this problem?” Lukashenka asked the head of customs.
According to Syanko, in January-August 2020, 71 million tons of goods crossed the Belarusian customs border with the Baltic countries, Poland and Ukraine. This is 15% less than in the corresponding period last year.
“This was influenced, among other things, by Russia, which reduced the volume of petroleum products sold to Western Europe by 30%. Our decrease in exports and imports amounted only to 10%,” said the Chairman of the State Customs Committee.
