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On Friday morning, Sergei transported frozen blueberries from Belarus in a truck with Lithuanian registration numbers. When Alexander Lukashenko threatened to close the walls, he had not yet got on the tugboat.
Belarus customs post
The load was destined for a Lithuanian customer and the machine belongs to a Lithuanian company, so there is an increased risk of the load getting stuck. “But there were no problems, we had to wait a bit on the Lithuanian side, but there were no problems in Belarus,” he said.
Noticed just tighten
A Girteka tractor with Lithuanian numbers is nearby. The driver is Belarusian. “I was on the wall at 6:30 in the morning, and now they’ll jump me right now,” he said. It is true that the truck returns to Lithuania empty, so its inspection is faster.
But there are units for trucks with Lithuanian numbers at the Medininkai stand. The business has prepared for possible surprises in the past.
Ten hours after Lukashenko publicly promised to close the borders with Lithuania and Poland, the trucks crossed the border as usual at the Medininkai post. Representatives from the Linava Carriers Association met with customs officials at the Medininkai border checkpoint on Friday morning, but the meeting was quiet.
“We have not received any information that the border may be closed.” The trucks are moving at the usual pace, although the controls on the Belarusian side have been tightened, but only to the extent, “customs officials said. Belarusians send trucks with EU registration numbers for X-ray inspection, previously they did so only selectively.
Reacted before
It is true that customs officials recalled that the flow from Belarus decreased a bit on Wednesday, from the usual 450 per day to 330. “Drivers mention that controls have been tightened, so fewer cars are checked per hour than usual. usual, “customs officials told the alarmed Linava carriers.
However, on Friday, the inspection returned to normal, with about 20 tractors per hour.
Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius / 15 minute photo / Traffic on the border between Lithuania and Belarus
It is true that Lithuanian companies have reacted to them for many years. Statistics from border guards show that the number of trucks crossing the Belarusian border with Lithuanian registration numbers is decreasing every year. For example, in 2017, Lithuanians made up 27% of the trucks going to Belarus.
Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius / 15 minute photo / Traffic on the border between Lithuania and Belarus
“Today, there may be about ten, maybe even less,” said Zenonas Buivydas, Linava’s secretary general.
For example, on Friday morning, out of several dozen trucks waiting to be inspected at the Medininkai post, 15 minutes I found only two with Lithuanian numbers. This is dominated by Belarusian and Russian logging trucks. Some of them belong to Lithuanian companies that have their own companies in Belarus.
Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius / 15 minute photo / Traffic on the border between Lithuania and Belarus
Reject the Lithuanian numbers
“For about a week, customers have refused to load trucks marked with Lithuanian numbers. Therefore, the cargo arrives on Belarusian and Russian tractors, ”says Z.Buivydas, Linava’s general secretary.
Zenon Buivydas
For large companies, these threats from A. Lukashenko can be an additional opportunity to earn money: customers look for operators with local registration numbers. “I think small businesses that have trucks with Lithuanian numbers may suffer as a result,” hinted the Linava general secretary.
By the way, customs agents note the same: it is better to load goods, and not on Lithuanian registration trucks.
VIDEO: Lukashenko: Belarus “closes” the border with the West, first with Lithuania and Poland
Achilles Heel – Kaliningrad
Most carriers do not believe that the border with Belarus can be closed. The customs officials don’t believe it either. “What will Kaliningrad eat if it closes the border here?” A customs official hinted to the trucks on Friday morning.
Cargo from Russia to Kaliningrad is transported through Belarus and Lithuania, so closing the border would break the entire chain. Planes, ships are not the answer.
It is true that some carriers choose the border between Latvia and Russia, especially those that ship to Belarus. Carriers say there may be more, albeit one downside. But nobody seems to close the border at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border.
“Clearly, no one can relax, business is tense and the situation remains extraordinary. There is concern with each of these statements. But so far everything is on the right track,” said the general secretary of “Linava”.
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