In the evening of 13 January, farmers blocked truck traffic at the Romanian border crossing point “Siret,” located across from the Ukrainian “Porubne,” Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service said. 

Hitherto, Romania had remained the only unhindered avenue for Ukrainian exports since the Polish and Slovakian farmers’ blockade of Ukrainian border crossings. This blockade started on 6 November amid concerns about increased competition from Ukrainian hauliers after the liberalization of cross-border shipping rules between Ukraine and the EU.

The causes and estimated duration of the Romanian farmer blockade are unknown, while traffic complications may occur in both directions, the State Border Guard Service statement says.

“Currently, there is no significant queue of freight vehicles heading towards Ukraine. 825 vehicles are registered in the exit queue from Ukraine,” the agency notes.

At the same time, the passage of passenger cars, buses, and pedestrians is carried out as usual, the State Border Guard Service points out.

Romania has become one of the key countries for the transit of Ukrainian products after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the blockade of sea routes.

Its role increased after Polish truckers started a blockade of Ukrainian trucks on border crossing points in late November. They were sporadically joined by Slovakian truckers.

At the end of December, it was reported that the governments of Ukraine and Poland agreed on an action plan to unblock the border, but there has not yet been a complete unblocking.