Customs sees large number of persons moving to Russia through northwestern border

ST. PETERSBURG. Jan 28 (Interfax) - More than 6.5 million people crossed the border in northwestern Russia in 2024, head of the customs control organization service at the Northwestern Customs Department Alexander Vinogradov said.

"Almost 6.7 million people crossed the border by car, bus or plane last year, down 13% from 2023," Vinogradov told the press on Tuesday.

"A large number of individuals who moved to places of their permanent residence from foreign states" was recorded at checkpoints of the Northwestern Customs Department last year, he said.

The department controls 51 checkpoints, including 45 fully operational.

"Actions of unfriendly countries do not fully allow uniform movement of vehicles along the entire land border of Russia. All motor checkpoints stay closed at the Russian-Finnish border, in addition to some checkpoints at the Russian borders with Estonia and Latvia," Vinogradov said.

There was an increase in sea and air traffic in northwestern Russia. According to Vinogradov, the number of aircraft that crossed the border in the area controlled by the Northwestern Customs Department grew 33%, alongside a 3% increase in the number of ships.

"Russian foreign trade refocusing from the West to the East and the South leads to the development of logistic routes to the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Cargo traffic by the Northern Sea Route has proven relevant to foreign economic operators. The ports of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk were used for those purposes. This is the shortest route between Europe and East Asia, and there are plans of using the Northern Sea Route this year," he said.

In turn, deputy head of the Northwestern Customs Department Yury Kuleshov said that the department provided 645 billion rubles in customs duties paid to the Russian budget in 2024, up 24% from 2023.

Goods were exported to 150 states and imported from 172 states last year, Kuleshov said. Quarterly cargo traffic exceeded 2023 levels. Physical volumes of exports increased by 19%, and imports grew 18%.

The Northwestern Customs Department operates in the Northwestern Federal District excluding the Kaliningrad region and covers ten Russian constituent territories. The area borders Belarus, Norway, Latvia, Finland, and Estonia.