The situation on the Ukrainian-Polish border is getting worse every day for truck drivers as queues at some cross-border points reach up to 45km. Ukraine accuses Polish phyto and veterinary service of provoking unjustified obstacles for truck drivers.

Since Ukrainian ports are blocked and railway transportation is limited, the movement of trucks loaded with grain and other agriculture products has become important for Ukrainian exports. “Our priority is to increase export. We need to trade with the world, otherwise our economy will not hold up,” Mustafa Nayyem, Ukrainian Deputy Infrastructure Minister said adding that by spending a day in a queue a truck owner loses on average 400 euros.

The problem with the truck queues at the border on Polish side appeared months earlier. Before the Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February Polish phyto and veterinary services were able to сheck 80 trucks per day but recently the service processes on average only 12–25 trucks a day.

On Sept 5, Polish truck drivers joined the strike with Ukrainians demanding to speed up the phytosanitary and veterinary control and to make it work round the clock.

“The situation on the Ukrainian-Polish border, especially on the Yahodyn-Dorohusk cross-border point, is catastrophic from the point of view of logistics. The long queues and strike of Polish truck drivers blocks Ukrainian export to Europe. Considering the limited capacity of goods transportation by sea and rail, Polish direction is a “salvation” for Ukraine nowadays. The limited transit through Polish cross-border points will reduce the volume of exports and, as a result, revenues. Ukrainian business is trying to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the EU — the lifting of export duties for a year, and it is extremely important on the state level to contribute to solving the problem”.

Source: