The demands of Kazakh customs authorities on Russian carriers became the main topic of discussion at the 25th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan.
As KazTAG reports, the commission instructed the Kazakh side to urgently send an official explanation to the Russian Ministry of Transport regarding the requirements that Kazakh customs authorities impose on Russian carriers when they use semi-trailers that were previously detached from European carriers.
This concerns the "detachment" or "transshipment" method, which means that a tractor unit from one country can deliver cargo to the border, where a detachment then takes place — another tractor unit collects the trailer and continues transport to another country.
To remind you, from 2017 Kazakhstan had a ban on importing goods into the country by means of detachment or transshipment. In May 2023, this ban was lifted.
However, in October 2023, the ban was reinstated and then soon suspended again: first until January 1, 2024, and then – until January 1, 2025.
It is worth noting that the suspension of the ban caused outrage among Kazakh carriers, who claimed that this initiative limits the capabilities of the domestic freight transport business.
The Ministry of Transport disagrees with this assertion. The ministry assures that permission to transport goods using the "detachment" or "transshipment" method enhances the competitiveness of domestic companies, allowing, among others, small and medium-sized motor transport companies to participate in transit traffic.
Furthermore, it is reported that the parties are ready to consider the issue of abolishing the requirements to pay import customs duties for Russian carriers using the "detachment" or "transshipment" method when importing goods into Kazakhstan.
In turn, the Russian side promises to expand the list of border crossing points with Belarus for Kazakh carriers.
The corresponding protocol has not yet been signed.
To remind you, earlier the editorial board of FBRK reported on how foreign transport companies are developing the Kazakh freight transport market under sanctions.
We noted that currently Kazakhstan is seeing a significant influx of motor transport companies from Russia and Belarus, which, due to anti-Russian sanctions, are forced to look for alternative routes to continue their work on the European route.
The Ministry of Transport assured us that this trend does not affect the Kazakh transport services market.