Cargo transportation to and from Belarus to Europe, Russia, Turkey

Belarus is one of the most developed countries in the CIS. The republic has a well-developed industry and agriculture. Products are actively exported abroad, mainly to the post-Soviet states. Cargo transportation to Belarus is also carried out for the delivery of industrial and agricultural products of foreign production. Due to the sanctions imposed by Western countries against Russia and the retaliatory Russian sanctions, transport flows to and from Belarus have increased. In the matter of sanctions, Belarus has taken a neutral position, allowing it to receive raw materials from all countries and, after processing, sell products to all countries.

Belarusian transport system

The transport system of Belarus is well developed and includes air, road, rail, and water transport. This means that the delivery of cargo to and from Belarus is possible by all major types of modern transport. Accordingly, cargo transportation to and from Belarus connects the country with powerful flows to the whole world.

Cargo transportation to and from Belarus by road

Compared to other CIS countries, most of Belarusian roads are in good condition, although there are many interregional roads with only two lanes. The overall density of the road network significantly lags behind that of Europe. In Belarus, there are 337 km of roads for every 1,000 square kilometers of railway, while in Europe, there are 906 km of roads for the same area. Nevertheless, the roads of Belarus ensure the delivery of cargo throughout the country and transit to neighboring states. The total length of public roads in Belarus is over 94,000 km.

Opportunities for cargo delivery to and from Belarus by air transport

Belarus has 67 runways, 36 of which have a hard surface. 6 Belarusian airports have international status and can accommodate modern aircraft. The international airports are located in the cities of:

• Brest.
• Vitebsk.
• Gomel.
• Grodno.
• Minsk.
• Mogilev.

Water transport in Belarus

Belarus has no access to the sea. For this reason, when planning intercontinental cargo transportation to and from Belarus, it should be planned as mixed, taking into account the delivery of cargo to and from a foreign port by land transport. Nevertheless, the republic has a sufficiently developed river water transport, including cargo transport, in the basins of the rivers: Bug, Dnieper, Western Dvina, Neman. The total length of river routes is 3,000 km. Navigable rivers connect Belarus with the basins of the Baltic and Black Seas. At the same time, there is the Berezina water system capable of linking these sea basins, but it is currently not operational. Despite having no access to the seas, Belarus is creating a merchant fleet, which already includes 10 cargo ships in its registry.

Belarusian railways and cargo delivery by them

The movement of cargo from Belarus to the CIS countries, the Baltic States, Ukraine, and other former Soviet republics by rail is not hindered in any way. The gauge in these countries is 1520 mm. When transporting to Europe by rail, it should be noted that in Poland, as in most other European countries, the gauge of railways is 1435 mm, and transloading will be required.

The total length of railway tracks in Belarus is 5,691 km, of which double-track is 1,640 km. 1,128 km of tracks are electrified.

Export goods of Belarus

Belarus exports over 60% of the goods and services produced in the republic. The products exported include machinery and chemical industry products, wood processing and oil refining, and agricultural products. The main buyers of Belarusian goods are the CIS countries and Ukraine. A significant part of the transport flows is caused by the imposed sanctions, which Belarus successfully uses to its advantage.