West Flemish transporters: “cargo to Russia three to four times more expensive”

Because of the threat of war, but also still because of the refugee crisis. Drivers are sometimes stuck at the border for five days or more for checks and some of them still refuse to drive to Russia because it is too dangerous.

Soncotra from Poperinge is one of the few transport companies that still travels to Russia despite all the difficulties. Soncotra ships 60 to 70 loads per week to Russia, mainly the Moscow region and also to Ukraine. These are usually refrigerated transports such as food and medicines. But it requires a lot of inventiveness to achieve this today.

“Due to the impending war, which is now weakening somewhat, there are much stricter border controls. The drivers are no longer at ease because they see many soldiers walking at the borders. The drivers are under stress as a result. At customs terminals, there is enormous control, uncertainty and fear. These are the biggest problems at the moment,” says Bert Lamaire, director of Soncotra.

Transporting a cargo to Russia is now three to four times more expensive than before the military threat and the refugee problem.