Television interview about the difficulties to transport to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine

Soncotra was interviewed by the Belgian television channel WTV about the difficulties we experience in transporting goods to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

It is very difficult for West Flanders carriers to export to the Ukraine and Russia.

Because of the threat of war, but also because of the refugee crisis. Drivers are sometimes stuck at the border for five days or more for controls and a number of them refuse to drive to Russia because it is too dangerous.

Soncotra from Poperinge is one of the few transport companies that despite all the difficulties still drives to Russia today. Soncotra ships 60 to 70 freights a week to Russia, mainly to the Moscow region and also to the Ukraine. These are mostly refrigerated transports such as food and medicines. But it takes a lot of inventiveness to get that done today.

"Because of the threat of war, there are much stricter border controls. The drivers are no longer at ease because they see many soldiers walking at the borders. The drivers are under stress because of this. In Kiev at the customs terminals, there is huge control, uncertainty and fear. Those are the biggest problems at the moment", says Bert Lamaire, director of Soncotra.