Lukashenka threatens to divert fertilizers to unlikely destination
Port in Klaipeda / delfi
Amid the migration crisis, Lithuania has warned Belarus of a possible complete halt in the transit of fertilizers. The sectoral sanctions introduced in June are soft enough in this regard, but now there is a serious possibility of "filling the spots" in the sanctions documents.
"Look, we'll supply these volumes, we'll load them in Murmansk," said Alyaksandr Lukashenka during the "Big Talk" on August 9. "It's not a problem, and we will supply it by the shortest route via the Northern Sea Route to China - this is our main market - and to India, the southeast. You can shoot in the head, if you want."
Apparently, Lukashenka was misinformed: it is unlikely that Belarusian fertilizers can be seriously rerouted via Murmansk.
For example, the Argus agency cited interesting figures in 2020: only 64% of fertilizers produced in Russia go through all Russian ports. Russians have to use ports in Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania.
Among Russian ports, St. Petersburg and Ust-Luga handle the maximum volume - 9.8 and 2.8 million tons a year, respectively. Murmansk, according to the agency, received 1.16 million tons annually. This is not because they do not want to, but because there is no possibility to increase the shipment.
