After around four months, Belarus has begun allowing detained trucks from the EU to leave the country. According to the authorities, vehicles from Lithuania and Poland are permitted to exit again – but only if any accrued parking fees are paid first.
The first vehicles have already crossed the border. However, the outflow is slow and is likely to drag on for weeks.
Thousands of vehicles, losses in the millions
The true scale is reflected in various industry estimates. The figures vary depending on the source, but they are consistently high.
Lithuanian association Linava speaks of up to 1,400 detained vehicles. The Belarusian association BAMAP cites around 1,800 tractor units and an additional roughly 3,000 semi-trailers. The International Road Transport Union (IRU) estimates a total of around 2,700 affected units. Some of these vehicles also belong to Polish companies.
Lithuanian logistics association TTLA estimates that, among its members alone, nearly 300 vehicles worth around €30 million were recently still blocked, plus the accrued parking costs. Overall, according to Linava, the industry’s losses could add up to as much as €100 million.
Source: Belta.by
High costs remain a key hurdle
The release of the vehicles is tied to conditions. Freight forwarders have to pay for the time the vehicles were parked, which, despite reduced fees, can amount to several thousand euros per vehicle.
At the same time, the repatriation itself is becoming a bottleneck. Capacity at border crossings is limited, and only a manageable number of trucks can be processed per day.
Source: Belta.by
Industry associations assume it could take weeks until all affected trucks have left the country. During this time, capital remains tied up and vehicles are still unavailable.
There are also practical issues: some vehicles need technical inspections, and not everywhere are drivers immediately available.
Source: customs.gov.by
Impact on the European transport market
Even though Lithuanian and Polish companies are primarily affected, the consequences extend beyond the region. Capacity on eastbound routes was restricted for months, and transports had to be reorganised.
For other European freight forwarders, this created additional short-term orders, but planning reliability on eastbound routes remains limited.
Easing – but no quick fix
The release of the trucks is seen in the industry as an important step. It shows that political pressure is having an effect.
For many companies, however, the crisis is not over yet. High costs, immobilised vehicles and operational issues continue to have an impact and will keep influencing the market in the coming weeks.
With contributions from: Artur Lysionok
