Ukraine’s export volume through freight transportation fell by 40% in November due to protests by Polish truckers who closed the border. In this respect reported Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Sviridenko.
“The export volume of Ukrainian products in November amounted to 9.2 million tons. Freight transportation amounted to 783 thousand tons. The largest export volume passed through the Polish border with 282 thousand tons. “And this volume is 40% less than in the period before the Polish aircraft carriers started the strike,” the minister said, as quoted by the newspaper Zerkalo Nedeli.
Sviridenko said exports had almost stopped at some border points.
“We are actively working to resolve this situation. Not all of this can be public because this publicity is not always in the best interest of the country. But we have reason to hope that thanks to dialogue on both sides, we can resolve the situation,” the official said.
The carriers’ strike at the border led to a budget loss of 9.2 billion hryvnias (more than $253 million) from customs duties for November 2023. This was announced by the chairman of the tax committee of the Verkhovna Rada Danil Getmantsev.
“As for customs, the results are unfortunately disappointing,” the MP said in a statement to the Rada TV channel. — This is minus 9.2 billion hryvnia for November and, accordingly, minus 19% of the plan. This is due to the closure of the crossings used by Slovaks and Poles. These are specific numbers that do not come into our budget. “You know, everything that goes into the budget as a tax cut goes to the security and defense of the country.”
Ukrainian presidential advisor Mikhail Podolyak said that the “blockade” of the border does not affect military supplies to the country.
“No, it does not affect arms supply. This is all happening within the framework of Poland’s absolutely clear strategy for military assistance to Ukraine. This is not blocked, other commercial cargoes are blocked,” he said in an interview with Channel 24.
According to Podolyak, Poland fully fulfills its obligations to Ukraine by providing weapons and other supplies to the front, bypassing the blocked sections of the border.
“Blockade” lasts almost a month
Polish carriers’ strike started 6 November. On this day, they closed three main checkpoints on the Ukrainian border: Dorogusk – Yagodin, Korchova – Krakovets and Hrebenne – Rava Russkaya (on November 23, a fourth one was added to them – Medyka – Shegini). On November 27, Polish farmers joined the action.
Protesters demanded the restoration of conditions for transportation of Ukrainians before the start of the special military operation. Namely: restore the permit system for Ukrainian commercial carriers (with exceptions for humanitarian aid and supplies for the Armed Forces of Ukraine), suspend the licenses of companies created in Ukraine after February 2022 and carry out their inspection, carry out separate queues of empty and loaded vehicles.
Truck drivers have to wait in queues for many kilometers for days (it was reported that a queue of 2.1 thousand trucks had accumulated at the border the previous day). In fact, two Ukrainian drivers lost their lives in the resulting traffic jam.
Poland expressed its demands
On November 24, Polish Acting Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki instructed Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Andrzej Adamczyk to deal with the situation.
Three days later he appealed To the Ukrainian authorities with a request to fulfill citizens’ demands: Cancellation of the electronic queue of at least two border control points for the registration of European trucks returning from Ukraine to the territory of the European Union without cargo.
“The Minister expressed hope that the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers will support this requirement, as this will be a step towards the benefit of Ukrainian and Polish carriers, as well as entrepreneurs in other sectors of the economy,” the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Transport and Infrastructure said in a press release.
Adamczyk asked European Commissioner Adina Valean and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to support this initiative.
“However, the protesting carriers first demand the reinstatement of canceled international transportation permits in accordance with the agreement between the European Union and Ukraine that entered into force on July 1, 2022. “For this reason, Minister Andrzej Adamczyk asked European Transport Commissioner Adina Valean to establish a joint committee to analyze the impact of this agreement on the EU road transport market.”
Adamczyk expressed his hope that the issue will be discussed at the EU Transport Council meeting to be held in Brussels on December 4, 2023.
Source: Gazeta
Emma Matthew is a political analyst for “Social Bites”. With a keen understanding of the inner workings of government and a passion for politics, she provides insightful and informative coverage of the latest political developments.