Berlin In politics as well as in the economy there is growing concern that there will be further supply bottlenecks. The reason is the economic sanctions against Russia, which are likely to be tightened in the coming weeks. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) expressed corresponding expectations on Wednesday at a video conference with around 50 representatives of the logistics industry.
There are differences in the effects of the sanctions on the individual transport sectors. At the meeting, the minister said, according to participants, that an EU-wide regulation is being sought to block all ports for Russian ships.
Each country currently decides for itself whether and how to interpret the sanctions lists. In case of doubt, this also leads to competitive disadvantages for those ports that apply the sanctions restrictively.
When asked, a spokeswoman for Wissing said: “In principle, with a view to further sanctions, Germany is in close contact with its European partner.”
The group also spoke of shipowners who continue to ship food and medicines to Russia. In some places they would be stopped, then again not.
This not only applies to German transshipment locations, but also to upstream ports in the Mediterranean. As a result, food was on board for too long and the goods had to be disposed of.
Supply chains have become even more vulnerable
In the German ports, however, there are traffic jams, since even documents and loads from safe senders are now being checked by customs, it was said during the conversation. The ports are currently overflowing.
According to the DSLV Bundesverband Spedition und Logistik, the global supply chains have become even more vulnerable as a result of the Ukraine war. For example, the forwarding companies would have to rule out goods-related embargo violations when doing business with Russia and check those involved in the business against the Russian sanctions lists.
DSLV General Manager Frank Huster reports major problems for the industry: “The political escalation has already led to a mutual blocking of European and Russian ports for ships from the other economic area.” Containers of Russian origin are no longer being handled in the Port of Hamburg.
Maritime supply chains can hardly be planned anymore and would “not be able to absorb traffic that is still being transported via the Asian-European Silk Road by rail,” warned Huster. Accordingly, the group also discussed how these transports, which are currently carried out by train, can be ensured.
Hope lies in China
This seems to be difficult in that Russia can also limit the possible alternative route for containers from China by train via Kaliningrad and then by ship to Lübeck or Hamburg, it said. Nevertheless, there was hope that China would use its influence on Russia to secure the transports.
There is great concern in the industry that the capacities for transport will soon no longer be sufficient. Containers for ships and trains are already missing.
Air traffic is also suffering. The meeting spoke of 20 percent less cargo space. One reason is the lower number of passenger flights given the blocked Russian airspace and the corresponding additional cargo. In addition, there are the long detours that require a smaller amount of cargo so that the flight destinations can be reached without a stopover.
Also, as airlines from the Gulf region, Turkey, Japan and Korea would still be allowed to fly through Russia, these carriers would gain a significant competitive advantage, the panel noted. Lufthansa could lose out.
The group was convinced that transport would continue to become more expensive in view of rising energy prices and detours. The economy will also suffer from increasingly disrupted supply chains, failing sources of raw materials and endangered Ukrainian suppliers, as in the case of the automotive industry.
The trucks are still rolling. However, many drivers come from Eastern Europe, including many from Ukraine.
In Polish transport companies alone, a third of the 103,000 drivers come from the Ukraine, and the situation in Lithuania is said to be similar. On top of that, there is already a driver shortage of 60,000 to 80,000 drivers, according to the participants.
Added to this are the fuel prices, which have been rising sharply for months and are now acute, which is why the Federal Association of Road Haulage, Logistics and Waste Management is calling for the introduction of “commercial diesel”. “There is a risk of a wave of insolvencies in the German transport logistics industry – then the supply of the population and the economy would be in danger,” said a spokesman.
In the logistics industry, companies are concerned about the lack of truck drivers from Ukraine.
(Photo: dpa)
DSLV general manager Huster said that the European road freight market has not yet been noticeably affected. Whether there will also be a further shortage of cargo space here will depend on the effects of the economic sanctions on the demand for freight transport and on the availability of Eastern European transport and driver capacities.
Dirk Jandura, President of the Federal Association of Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services, said on Friday that there would be significant problems in the logistics sector due to a lack of drivers, reduced air freight capacities and further bottlenecks in sea freight.
Many companies would now also have to do without suppliers in Ukraine and Russia, said Jandura. For example, the import of aluminum, coal or wheat is affected. “It is all the more important that the Federal Ministry of Economics develops a strategy for strengthening foreign trade with other regions,” demanded Jandura.
Read here: More and more companies are giving up business in Russia
Raimund Klinkner, President of the German Transport Forum, asked the federal government “to ensure a uniform approach and the right framework conditions so that the transport industry can make its contribution to an effective sanctions regime and reliable supply”.
Specifically, he called for, among other things, simplified rules in border traffic and facilitation for truck traffic, for example with driving and rest times and with restrictions on Sundays and public holidays.
The Ministry of Transport is currently holding talks with the federal states. When asked, it said: “The supply in Germany is currently not endangered by the Ukraine war. However, we continue to monitor the situation closely so that we can react to any developments at an early stage.”
More: Historian Niall Ferguson: “In the new cold war, China plays the leading role”