AITA Board member Sergey Magdalyuk
The decision affects at least 115 Moldovan carriers, as well as businessmen who have contracts for export/import of cargo on the Russian direction.
The Association of International Road Transport of Moldova (AITA) published clarifications for our freight carriers. The decision of the Russian government was adopted on March 25 and came into force on March 27.
The document No. 362 dated March 25, 2025 is called “On Amendments to the Decision of the Government of the Russian Federation dated September 30, 2022”. What is the main meaning of the changes? The Republic of Moldova has been added to the list of foreign states in respect of which restrictive measures have already been introduced in the field of road transportation of goods.
As domestic trucking companies themselves say, the current critical situation did not arise suddenly, the problems have been accumulating for years. Everyone knew about it, spoke about it at meetings, transport workers addressed proposals to the authorities in Chisinau. But, as we can see from today’s situation, the problem could not be solved. The final point has been reached.
Moldova and Russia agree on the number of permits to enter the country for each year, without them bilateral cargo transportation is impossible. Russian trucks do not travel to Moldova, so they do not need permits. Moldovan international carriers were granted 4,000 Russian permits for 2024. However, this number is categorically insufficient, because the volume of cargo in trade between our countries was quite large.
According to the Moldovan government press service, foreign trade between Moldova and Russia in 2024 amounted to $326.2 million, of which exports – $117.7 million, imports – $208.5 million.
According to unofficial sources, the National Road Transport Agency (ANTA) last May asked the Russian Ministry of Transport to increase the quota for 2024 with an additional 12,000 permits. To no avail. In the fall, the permits ran out, and the flow of cargoes practically stopped.
It only got worse from there. Economic ties in the field of road freight transportation were completely broken: the Russian Ministry of Transport did not provide Moldova with permits for freight transportation for 2025. The Moldovan-Russian Commission on Transport actually stopped working. So, where to turn?
The Association of International Road Carriers (AITA) sent a letter to the government on January 14, 2025, asking it to solve the problem faced by Moldovan freight companies and forwarders.
When it became clear in January that there were no permits from the Russian Ministry of Transport for 2025, Moldovan business leaders sounded the alarm. In an interview for Logos Press (LP No. 2 of 24.01. 2025), AITA board member, Doctor of Economic Sciences Serghei Magdaliuc emphasized that not only trucking companies suffer, but also agricultural producers. Quoting from the interview: “Today’s problems of trucking companies are yesterday’s incompetent activity of Moldovan authorities. If they do not want to carry out cargo transportation between Moldova and Russia, then let them officially announce it”. This interview caused a wide resonance among transport workers, but remained without reaction of the Moldovan authorities. It was January.
Now the key question is: what to do next? Moldovan cargo trucks on their way to Russia crossed the territory of Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and Lithuania. The voyage lasts several days, a lot of time is taken up by customs procedures at the borders. Theoretically, customers can try to organize transshipment of cargo in Belarus to the transport of other operators, not from Moldova. But in practice, this is unlikely: additional logistics means more time and costs.
Obviously, the situation will force to activate other routes: through the EU, Turkey, and the Caucasus. Forwarders will look for alternative solutions for cargo customers. But why don’t the Moldovan authorities care about the problems of transport workers?
