OREANDA-NEWS About 1.5 thousand cargo containers intended for shipment to Russia are currently blocked in the Belgian ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge, according to sources from the customs and excise department of the kingdom.

According to the head of the Customs and Excise department, Kristian Vanderwaeren, containers can be sent to destinations in Russia only if interested companies provide papers indicating that they do not fall under EU sanctions.

«Otherwise, if the documents do not clarify, the goods are subject to physical control», the management said.

Since the introduction of European sanctions against Russia, customs has already checked more than ten thousand containers. In addition to ports, 374 cargo flows to Russia are currently blocked in Belgium. And 16 cargoes, this time from Russia, were blocked. Customs expects the number of checks and blockages to increase even more dramatically in the coming weeks with the introduction of new sanctions imposed by the European Union.