Freight traffic in Europe stymied by migrant crisis

Budapest

BORDER closures and tighter controls caused by record numbers of migrants are clogging up trade in south-east and central Europe, driving up costs and forcing transport companies to seek other routes.

Freight traffic through Serbia was severely disrupted when Hungary and Croatia closed their borders last month to cope with tens of thousands of migrants, most bound for richer nations further north.

The clampdown hit not just Serbian and Croatian trucks but also cargo in transit from other countries to the south, including Macedonia, Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria.

Aleksandar Momcilovic drives a truck carrying sunflower meal and soya meal from Serbia to Italy. Usually, it takes eight hours to reach Italy, his final destination near Genoa. But last week, he spe…