World meat industry news

The issue of restrictions on the entry of European trucks into the Russian Federation in response to EU sanctions, again raised by the Ministry of Transport, caused acute concern among sellers and manufacturers of products. According to their estimates, after the introduction of such restrictions in Belarus, the cost of logistics has doubled, and delivery times have increased. New restrictions, according to market participants, threaten the disappearance of some goods. Carriers, for their part, consider the measures necessary, but are ready for exemptions for food and medicine.

"Kommersant" got acquainted with the appeal of the unions of food and beverage manufacturers to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin with a request not to impose restrictions on trucks entering Russia. The letter dated May 31 was signed by the leaders of Soyuznapitki, Soyuzmolok, Rybny Soyuz, Rusbrand, Rusprodsoyuz and others.

As stated in the document, the Ministry of Transport is once again working on the issue of restricting the movement of trucks from the EU to the Russian Federation, by analogy with Belarus, where trucks are required to transship or transfer in designated areas.

This is contrary to the plan of priority actions for the development of the Russian economy, which provides for the acceleration of the movement of goods across the border, the authors of the appeal emphasize. In addition, they note, the restrictions will be "critical for the food security of the Russian Federation, will negatively affect the food industry, agriculture and the provision of consumers with food."

According to market participants, due to the EU ban on the entry of Russian and Belarusian trucks and the response of Belarus, the average tariff for transportation from the EU to the Russian Federation increased from €3.2 thousand to €7.8 thousand per truck, and the delivery time increased for a week. In addition, the business writes, the food industry uses goods that cannot be transshipped. The press service of the government told Kommersant that the letter had not yet been received.

A request to preserve the possibility of foreign carriers entering the Russian Federation was also sent to First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, heads of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Transport Denis Manturov and Vitaly Savelyev by the heads of the Association of Retail Companies (AKORT; includes X5 Group, Magnit, Lenta, Auchan, etc.). ), the Union of Independent Networks and the Small Format Trade Association. Kommersant has a copy of the appeal.

It says that in Russia there is no infrastructure for transshipment of goods, there are not enough temporary storage warehouses at border crossings, and restrictions could lead to the disappearance of a number of foreign goods or a significant increase in prices.

Chairman of the AKORT presidium Igor Karavaev explains that first of all there will be problems with the import of perishable products. A week-long delay due to overcooking in Belarus is critical for vegetables and fruits, and most food imports today are fruits and vegetables from the countries of the Southern Hemisphere and the Balkans, he clarifies. Kommersant's source in a major food manufacturer adds that the re-hooking option is unlikely to work at all: "Not a single European carrier will entrust its trailer to a third-party company." According to him, given the limited rail connection with the EU, "any difficulties with vehicles will be especially painful."

Food manufacturers tried to prevent restrictions on the entry of trucks from Europe into the Russian Federation in mid-April. Then the regulators did not begin to introduce measures, but then representatives of the transport industry asked for them. The Association of International Road Carriers (ASMAP) wrote to Andrey Belousov that a ban on the transportation of goods across the EU would deprive companies from the Russian Federation of 210-230 billion rubles. income per year, and the niche of delivery to Russia will be occupied by foreigners. Transshipment or transfer does not threaten to increase the cost of logistics, ASMAP assured: the cost of one operation does not exceed €50. The association "Kommersant" did not answer. In the office of Mr. Belousov, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Transport also did not provide comments.

According to the interlocutor of Kommersant among carriers, this industry has been one of the most affected by EU sanctions and has not yet received support.

To minimize the risks, it is necessary to study the existing infrastructure for transferring in the Russian Federation, as well as prepare a list of goods that the measure will not affect: bulk cargo, food raw materials, medicines, etc., he believes. However, according to a Kommersant source in the food market, “it’s better to support carriers with subsidies than exacerbate the problems of other industries.”