Truck traffic resumes on Ukraine’s border with Poland
1 July 2024 23:46
Freight traffic has resumed at the border with Poland. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the State Customs Service of Ukraine.
“In connection with the settlement by the Polish side of the issue of crossing the border by trucks with Ukrainian registration, the passage of freight vehicles through checkpoints on the border with the Republic of Poland located in the area of Lviv Customs has been resumed,” the statement said,
– the statement said.
Deputy Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development Serhiy Derkach noted that the Polish Customs and Border Guard will not require any permits for bilateral transport.
According to him, all Ukrainian vehicles engaged in bilateral transport, in accordance with the “transport visa-free regime”, can cross the border without hindrance.
Freight traffic is already starting at the Shehyni-Medica, Nyzhankovychi – Malhowice, Uhryniv – Dolhobychuv, and Krakivets – Korczova checkpoints. In the near future, truck traffic will be allowed at other checkpoints.
What truck drivers need to have to cross the border
According to Sergiy Derkach, the conditions for transport under the “transport visa-free regime” are the same for all carriers, both Ukrainian and foreign.
To cross the border, you need to have:
- A transport licence in paper form. A Ukrainian carrier must have an extract from the International Freight Transport Licence in English with a QR code on board the truck. You can get it in the carrier’s personal account.
- Cargo documents for empty vehicles. If a truck leaves Ukraine empty, it must have documents on board confirming that it will return with cargo on the way back. This can be a contract or an application signed by the carrier. These documents must contain, among other things, the name, contact details and address of the sender. They must also indicate the place of loading.
- Documents to confirm the type of transportation. During the trip, the driver must have documents in paper or electronic form that confirm the type of transportation. These include bills of lading, consignment notes, cargo customs declarations, etc.
- Documents for returning an empty truck. When returning an empty truck to Ukraine, you must have documents confirming the carriage of goods in direct traffic.
- A sticker on the truck’s windscreen. The vehicle’s windscreen must have a 5 cm blue sticker. Its appearance is approved in the Agreement. You can download the sticker here: https://bit.ly/3XxUhWJ. The sticker is intended to help the controlling authorities of the countries to identify trucks transported in accordance with the Agreement and to prevent cabotage.
The truck traffic was suspended from 00:00 on 1 July.
Border blockade and trade wars
Polish farmers have started a blockade of the border with Ukraine due to the influx of Ukrainian grain, which, according to the Poles, lowers prices for their products and makes them less competitive. Farmers in Poland claim that this negatively affects their income, as Ukrainian grain is sold at lower prices, which reduces the value of local products.
The main demand of the protesters is to cancel the preferential trade regime with Ukraine and return the permit system for importing goods to Poland.
As part of the protest, Polish farmers blocked truck traffic, even transit traffic, at checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Polish border, and sometimes even the movement of freight trains across the border. On several occasions, protesters poured Ukrainian grain directly onto the ground.
At the end of April this year, Polish farmers unblocked the Rava-Ruska checkpoint on the border with Ukraine to allow trucks to pass through. At the same time, trucks transporting grain crops were still not allowed to enter Poland.
