Russia wanted to restrict imports from China due to a fuel shortage
Authorities in Russia’s Zabaykalsky Krai attempted to temporarily restrict truck traffic through the “Zabaykalsk” road border crossing on the border with China in order to give priority to fuel tankers amid an acute fuel shortage.
A draft resolution by Governor Alexander Osipov was published on June 29 on the regional government’s website. The document stipulated that, starting July 3, only trucks transporting fuel would be allowed to pass through the checkpoint. In addition, there were plans to restrict the movement of other trucks within the region.
Regional government officials explained that the restrictions were to apply only in the morning and evening; however, the draft document itself did not specify the time frames for their implementation.
The Zabaikalsky Krai, like a number of other Russian regions, has faced an acute shortage of gasoline and diesel fuel. According to the governor, drivers were forced to wait in line at gas stations for several days.
Representatives of the logistics industry criticized the initiative, noting that a significant portion of goods imported from China passes through the “Zabaikalsk” border crossing, and its de facto closure to most trucks could have caused a massive disruption in supply chains.
Ultimately, the restrictions did not take effect. According to logistics companies, following intervention by federal authorities, the draft resolution was not approved, and on July 3, the border crossing resumed normal operations. At the same time, industry sources do not rule out that Russian authorities may revisit the idea of imposing other restrictions to ensure priority fuel supplies.
As a reminder, the fuel crisis in Russia is intensifying: gasoline is running out at gas stations and lines are growing.
Russia has allowed lower-quality gasoline due to the fuel crisis.
The fuel shortage has hit domestic tourism in Russia.
