Moldovan government says Russia again economically targets Moldova, with no reason given

Russia has imposed restrictions on road freight transport from Moldova. This means that Moldovan companies are barred from delivering goods to Russia, leaving our transporters stuck at the border.

This unilateral decision strikes at Moldovan transporters and shows Russia's clear intent to harm the Moldovan economy. The Russian side's decision comes on a period when Moscow has consistently refused to participate in technical discussions or observe the earlier agreements.

To protect the interests of Moldovan transporters, the authorities of the country have taken several concrete actions:

- They have repeatedly sent requests to Russian officials to comply with the existing quotas for international transport permits and to supplement them;

- Diplomatic level discussions have taken place;

- They have insisted on convening the Moldovan-Russian Joint Commission in the field of transport, as provided in bilateral agreements - a request to which the Russian side has refused to respond.

Unfortunately, Russia does not honor commitments and continues to use trade relations as political pressure tools, contrary to public statements of sympathy towards the people of Moldova. Concretely, Russia's decision affects 115 transporters with authorizations, impacting exporters who contract these transporters. This will push economic agents of Moldova to orient themselves to other markets, where there is predictability and rule of law.

To increase and diversify exports, Moldova has boosted cooperation with other markets and strengthened alternative routes through the European Union, Caucasus, and Central Asia, in order to make sure that the Moldovan companies do not depend on arbitrary political decisions. One example is the Agreement on the liberalization of road freight transport with the EU, effective since June 2022, providing access to a predictable market.

Moldova’s authorities will continue to defend the interests of Moldovan companies and are seeking alternative solutions for economic agents, such as partnerships with other countries and international organizations.

In 2024, Russia accounted for 2.6% of the total trade value, with exports at 3.3% and imports at 2.3%. The foreign trade value of Moldova with Russia in 2024 amounted to 326.2 million dollars, with exports at 117.7 million dollars and imports at 208.5 million dollars.

Contextual information:

In the past twenty years, Russia has imposed at least seven bans on Moldovan products:

• 2006: embargo on Moldovan wines;

• 2013: embargo on wine products, invoking non-compliance with safety requirements;

• 2014: ban on the supply of tinned fruits and vegetables, invoking non-compliance with Russian legislation;

• 2014: embargo on the import of fruits (apples, pears, quinces, apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums) from Moldova, due to alleged supply and inspection violations;

• 2014: unmotivated suspension of meat imports from Moldova following an inspection;

• 2022: temporary suspension of fruit and vegetable imports from almost all districts of Moldova;

• 2023: full embargo on fruit and vegetable imports from Moldova.