Some 43,000 cargo units bound for Russia and Belarus blocked in Rotterdam port

Some 43,000 transit cargoes bound for Russia and Belarus have been blocked in Europe's biggest seaport, Rotterdam. 

"According to the available information, as of the end of 2022, about 43 thousand transit cargoes with the destination Russia/Belarus are blocked in the port of Rotterdam. The Russian trade mission in the Netherlands has organised work to facilitate their delivery to the final destination," Russian Ambassador to the Netherlands Alexander Shulgin said, Kommersant reports.

According to him, all in all, assistance in the delivery of more than a hundred cargo consignments has been provided.

Alexander Shulgin added that cargo transportation between Russia and the Netherlands is significantly hampered, since there is no direct air communication between the countries. It is also prohibited for trucks with Russian number plates to enter the territory of the European Union and for Russian vessels to enter European ports.

At the same time, the ambassador noted that the sanctions had not hindered the development of trade relations between Russia and the Netherlands. According to the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics, which he cited, trade turnover in January-August 2022 increased by 31.2 per cent to 19.1 billion euros. Imports from the Netherlands decreased by 37.6  per cent to 2.5 billion euros. Russian exports increased by 57.6 per cent to 16.6 billion.

The Federal Customs Service has previously reported that last year the Netherlands became one of Russia's top three trading partners. In 2022, trade turnover with this country decreased by only 0.1 per cent.