Category: Транспорт

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: KMZ Cargo – KMZ CARGO –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Lithuanian authorities abandoned over a thousand commercial vehicles in their neighbor's territory. Belarus is now moving them to designated parking lots and is prepared to take "legal measures" until Vilnius reopens the border crossing.

Lithuania unilaterally closed two main border crossings with Belarus – Kamenny Log and Benyakoni – resulting in the de facto stranding of over 1,100 trucks with Lithuanian license plates within the country. Drivers and vehicles were forced to idle on access roads leading to the closed crossings.

The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced measures in response to the current situation. To ensure the safety and security of vehicles, all stranded trucks will be moved to specially designated parking areas near the Kotlovka checkpoint. At the same time, the diplomatic agency stated that, for humanitarian reasons, drivers have been given the opportunity to leave Belarus and return to their permanent places of residence until Lithuania reopens the border. The Ministry also stated its readiness to provide the necessary assistance to drivers who, for whatever reason, are unable to leave.

Official Minsk places full responsibility for the events on the Lithuanian side. Statements from the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasize that all additional costs and logistical losses incurred by freight carriers, senders, and recipients in Lithuania and other European Union countries are a direct consequence of the ill-considered and politicized decisions of the Lithuanian authorities. The Belarusian side reserves the right to apply all legal measures against any transport remaining on its territory.

Previously, Belarusian authorities repeatedly stated that they posed no obstacles to the return of Lithuanian trucks. Minsk's position was that traffic would resume on a first-come, first-served basis immediately after Lithuania reopened the border. Meanwhile, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė confirmed that Vilnius intends to ask Minsk to consider the possibility of returning the vehicles and drivers. She also made it clear that the border itself would remain closed until November 30, 2025, a deadline that could be extended.

The Lithuanian government's decision to close the border was motivated by efforts to combat smuggling on the Belarusian side. In response, Belarus imposed counter-restrictions on the passage of trucks and tractor-trailers registered in Lithuania through its territory. According to a Belarusian government decree, these vehicles may enter and exit only through the Belarusian-Lithuanian border, and all cargo operations, re-unions, and refueling must be carried out exclusively in designated areas. These restrictions will remain in effect until December 31, 2027.

As a reminder, Lithuanian National Radio and Television LRT previously reported that Lithuania was initiating negotiations with Belarus on the return of approximately 500 Lithuanian trucks blocked on Belarusian territory through the closed Šalčininkai border crossing. LR

Read more:http://logirus.ru/nevs/transport/Belarus_responded_to_the_blockade_of_Lithuania_by_arresting_1100_trucks.html

Publication date: 11/10/2025

Please note; this information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate account of what the source claims, and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: KMZ Cargo – KMZ CARGO –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Thanks to Chinese VAT refunds, legal supplies are showing unexpected profitability – a KVT expert uses a specific case to analyze the "hidden" arithmetic.

Switching to fully legal import schemes from China can provide companies not only with reduced risks but also direct savings exceeding the cost of cargo transportation. A key factor is the ability of the Chinese supplier to reclaim export VAT, which is applied as a discount on the goods. Ivan Smerichinsky, Head of Client Services at KVT, presented this calculation using a specific case study during an industry webinar.

Switching to fully legal import schemes from China can provide companies not only with reduced risks but also direct savings exceeding the cost of cargo transportation. A key factor is the ability of the Chinese supplier to reclaim export VAT, which is applied as a discount on the goods. Ivan Smerichinsky, Head of Client Services at KVT, presented this calculation using a specific case study during an industry webinar.

In the case of the cargo scheme, the delivery rate was set at $3 per kilogram, amounting to $2,000. However, the expert noted hidden costs. "When paying through cargo schemes, very high conversion rates arise—often simply unreasonable. They can mark up the initial exchange rate by up to 5-6%, and sometimes as much as 10%," Smerichinsky noted. Even accounting for the conversion at the inflated rate (the yuan at 11.9 rubles, the dollar at 85 rubles), the final cost of the cargo delivery would be lower than the legal amount—1.4 million rubles. But the analysis did not end there.

Smerichinsky presented an optimized scenario for legal import, where the importer exercises the right to reclaim export VAT. "If we agree with the supplier that they will refund us their entire export VAT, which is 13% in China, as a discount, then the purchase price of the goods will be 87,000 yuan," he explained. This transaction radically changes the financial result. The reduction in the purchase price entails a reduction in the customs value, customs duty, and VAT. As a result, the total cost of official import, taking all expenses into account, will be just over 1.3 million rubles, which is not only lower than the original legal option but also cheaper than the cargo option, Ivan Smerichinsky emphasized.

The expert emphasized that implementing such a scheme in practice is only possible with a well-established long-term relationship with the supplier. "Of course, we're looking at an ideal case where our supplier offered a discount, even covering the full VAT amount, but nonetheless, it's very significant," Smerichinsky commented.

This calculation demonstrates that when switching to white-label schemes, companies should focus not only on the inevitable costs, but also on finding legal tools for financial optimization, one of which is working with the counterparty's export VAT, the expert concluded.

As a reminder, according to the Price Index Center, the cost of shipping a 40-foot container from China to Russia reached a five-year low in 2025. LR

Read more:http://logirus.ru/nevs/custom_and_after all/Chinese_VAT_against_cargo-surcharges_legal_import_may_be_cheaper_cargo.html

Publication date: 11/07/2025

Please note; this information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate account of what the source claims, and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: KMZ Cargo – KMZ CARGO –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The first stage, starting on February 11, 2026, will affect the rail transportation of sanctioned and certain excisable goods.

A mandatory shipment tracking system using electronic navigation seals will come into effect in the Eurasian Economic Union on February 1, 2026, according to the Russian Railways press service. The decision of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Board introduces a new procedure for monitoring the transportation of goods by road and rail. Practical monitoring will begin on February 11, 2026, 10 days after the decision comes into effect.

The system's implementation is planned in three stages, lasting a total of 480 days. The first stage, commencing on February 11, 2026, will cover rail transportation of sanctioned and certain excisable goods, including alcohol and tobacco, for customs transit, export, and mutual trade. In the second stage, controls will be extended to rail transportation of light industry products and electronics as part of customs transit. The third stage will cover all customs transit carried out by rail.

A navigation seal installed at the entrance to the EAEU or at the point of cargo departure within the union will be valid throughout its entire territory. Integration of operator information systems will enable monitoring of shipments from the point of departure to the final destination. For example, during transit through Russia, a seal from any authorized operator will ensure data transfer to the Russian information system.

The Russian Ministry of Transport has instructed Russian Railways, in conjunction with the Center for Corporate Transport Services (CRTSP), to conduct comprehensive preparatory work to fulfill the agreement's requirements. According to Dmitry Gorokh, Deputy Head of Freight and Commercial Operations at the Center for Corporate Transport Services, the parties have already analyzed the delivery of goods across Russia and identified the stations that will handle the bulk of the first-stage shipments. Work was also conducted to assess the technological feasibility of applying and removing seals at these stations, taking into account the number of personnel involved. The list of stations involved was then expanded based on the collected statistics.

Dmitry Gorokh noted that by the end of 2025, they plan to complete equipping newly added stations with communications services and the necessary equipment for handling navigation seals, as well as conduct a series of pilot shipments to test their interaction with the national operator's information system. He noted that the holding company already has significant experience working with such technologies. The first shipments of cargo with navigation seals on the Russian Railways network took place in 2016, and since 2020, in cooperation with CRCP LLC, over 10,000 rail shipments using them have been carried out, primarily under the rules for the transit of sanctioned cargo using GLONASS technology, approved by the Russian Government in late 2019.

As a reminder, the Russian government is launching a pilot project to use navigation seals for Eurasian Economic Union goods transported between Armenia and the Russian Federation through third countries. The experiment will run until October 31, 2025, and will serve as a practical test of mechanisms for monitoring and tracking shipments within the Union.

Read more:http://logirus.ru/nevs/transport/RZD_rehearses_stations_are_preparing_to_receive_smart_seals.html

Publication date: 11/01/2025

Please note; this information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It is an accurate account of what the source claims, and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.