Terminal back to normal operation
The Polish authorities announced detailed controls for goods entering by train through the railway terminal in Małaszewicze. The customs office controlled the documents as well as the containers themselves, making it impossible to declare customs clearance in the system as well as to collect the containers from the terminal, resulting in a queue and a little confusion.
According to the findings of our portal, as of 4 July 2024, the action has already ended and all containers are checked in continuously without queuing. It is possible that actions of this type will occur more frequently, according to the Authority - this is to protect against the influx of dangerous substances and illegal goods into our country.
As we can see, the blockade did not last very long and caused more panic than actual harm. This type of action may occur more frequently in the near future, but in practice we can see that the action ended quickly and there is no cause for concern. Poland, Belarus as well as China are beneficiaries of the Silk Road rail route from China to Poland and each of these countries will care about its smooth functioning.
Blockade on Polish border to put pressure on Belarus
The border controls are also the result of a political game played by Poland, which in this way wanted to show Lukashenko possible actions to block transit flows from and into Belarus. This is to influence Lukashenko so that he stops transporting illegal migrants to our border. China, which is concerned about the disruption of flows through the Silk Road, has also joined the discussion. Officially, they are calling for an agreement between Poland and Belarus on the migration issue in order to resolve the conflict.
All in all, the action caused a lot of fear among importers, but its quick end and the return to normal operation of the terminal leave no cause for concern. Time will tell if there will be more inspections and if they will take place in a similar form.