Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia And Armenia Have Sharply Tightened Control Over Deliveries Of Sub-sanctioned Goods To Russia
2- 27.06.2025, 10:40
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Russian companies are facing new challenges.
Russian companies have faced a sharp increase in the delivery time of goods from CIS countries due to tougher customs inspections, business representatives told Izvestia. According to Alexei Razumovsky, commercial director of Impaya Rus, control over the passage of goods has been tightened in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia and Armenia, while only Belarus is now operating without delays. The delivery time through Kazakhstan has increased the most - if earlier goods from the country came in 10-30 days, now they take a month and a half, said the founder of Anderida Financial Group Alexei Tarapovsky, writes The Moscow Times.
Alexei Ivanov, the owner of Alliance Trucks, said the delays primarily concern electronics shipments, but selectively affect other categories of goods, including auto components and parts. Enhanced control has also extended to dual-use products, Novasmart commercial director Olga Schoall added. "Special attention is now being paid to technological products - with the shortage of servers and computing infrastructure, such goods can be used for both civilian and military purposes. That's why they are especially watched. But branded things like Gucci or Louis Vuitton handbags both passed and are still passing," Razumovsky confirmed.
The strengthening of customs control on the part of CIS countries is taking place against the backdrop of the pressure of Western sanctions, the growth of transit flows (by 30% on average in 2024), as well as the fight against gray import schemes, Schoall noted. Russian business has already started to consider alternative channels for supplying goods, but all of them involve new logistical and legal costs, Chernov said. In particular, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are highlighted as potential transit hubs. If necessary, it is also possible to deliver goods via Mongolia, says Anastasia Prikladova, associate professor of the international business department of Plekhanov Russian Economic University.
In the meantime, delays at the customs of "friendly" countries may cause temporary shortages in certain niches, especially in the segment of electronics and auto components. This will lead to an increase in prices for consumers by about 10%, says Ivanov of Alliance Trucks. Co-owner and deputy director of PEC Vadim Filatov added that carriers lose up to 20 thousand rubles per day due to downtime at the border. According to him, in the first five months of this year the cost of logistics has increased by 25% in annual terms. Similar problems with transit through "friendly" countries already occurred in 2022, but were quickly resolved, recalled Anastasia Prikladova from Plekhanov Russian Economic University. She expressed hope that this time the situation would stabilize according to a similar scenario.