Liberalization of Road Freight Transport Switzerland – Russia

In the future, road transport companies from Switzerland and Russia will be allowed to conduct freight transport between the two countries as well as transit trips through both states without a permit. Representatives of the Federal Government and the Russian Federation have signed a corresponding amendment to the bilateral agreement.

(Bern) International road traffic between Switzerland and Russia is regulated by a bilateral agreement that has been in force since February 2015. According to this agreement, permits are required for both bilateral and transit traffic. The number of annual permits is limited.

In recent years, the demand from freight transporters has exceeded the available permits. Therefore, the two countries have agreed to relax the regulation and supplement the agreement with a protocol. The permit requirement for bilateral and transit freight transport will be abolished. However, cross-border traffic as well as bus travel (road passenger transport) will not be liberalized. The new regulation was signed on October 15, 2021, by representatives of the Federal Government and the Russian Federation in Moscow. It will come into effect as soon as the national procedures (ratification) are completed.

Cabotage remains prohibited

Switzerland has pursued the goal of a permit-free market access in cross-border road freight transport for years. In freight transport with EU countries, this is regulated in the land transport agreement. With numerous other countries in Europe and the Middle East, permits are waived based on similar agreements as with Russia. Cabotage, i.e., the transport of goods between two points within Switzerland by foreign companies, remains prohibited.

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