More foreign truckers ordered to use only one Belarus-Russia border crossing

January 19, Pozirk. The Belarusian and Russian foreign ministries expanded the list of countries whose truck drivers must cross the Belarusian-Russian border at the Jeziaryšča-Lobok border checkpoint, the Association of the International Automobile Carriers reports.

The restriction now applies to truckers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), China, Iran and Turkey.

The rule has been in effect for road carriers from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) since January 12.

Since late November, only trucks registered in Belarus and Russia can enter transshipment facilities at the European Union’s border.

The EU banned Belarusian carriers from moving cargo by road through its territory in April 2022 as part of sanctions against Moscow and Minsk for unleashing a full-scale war against Ukraine.

In response, Belarusian authorities banned EU-registered trucks from crossing the EAEU customs border into Belarus. The ban does not apply to vehicles passing through 14 customs clearance checkpoints and “waiting zones” for cargo operations.