Lithuanian freight carriers may suffer losses of up to 1 billion euros due to the closure of the land border with Belarus, which has been in effect since October 29, reported Oleg Tarasov, vice president of the Lithuanian Freight Carriers Association “Linava“.
“The situation is close to a catastrophe. If the border is not reopened soon, our estimates indicate that the losses will amount to nearly 1 billion euros per year“, he said.
According to the association representative, the conflict over mutual restrictions will force Lithuanian carriers to abandon the freight market in the east. "Our neighbors, who have a more flexible position, will take over the freight transportation," he said. According to Tarasov, the entire logistics sector, including freight forwarders and warehouse companies, will suffer losses.
In response to Vilnius' actions, Belarus banned trucks and tractors registered in Lithuania and Poland from driving on its roads on October 31.