Chinese goods worth millions stuck over month at Russian border As a result of crackdown on simplified import schemes

Almost 7,000 trucks carrying 77,000 tons of Chinese goods have been unable to cross the Russian border for over a month, Forbes reported, citing market participants.

The cargo shipments, which were routed through Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, have been stranded amid tightened controls over so-called “grey” cargo transportation — a simplified, semi-legal logistics scheme used to bypass formal customs clearance procedures.

According to Alexei Goncharov, General Director of the logistics company CHINA NATIONAL CARGO Ltd., transporters have already incurred losses of about $154 million, while Russian customers — mainly marketplace sellers and small retailers — have been left without goods. He noted that warehouses and marketplaces are now “empty” due to the disruption.

Forbes writes that most of the stranded shipments had been processed under simplified customs declarations, typically described as consolidated consignments of textiles or raw materials. However, in reality, these deliveries often contained a wide range of consumer and industrial goods, including clothing, electronics, and other everyday items.

In some cases, products officially banned from import into Russia, such as military equipment, drones, or hazardous chemicals, were also transported through these channels, the publication added.

By Tamilla Hasanova