In Sverdlovsk Oblast, prices could soar even further because of new freight transport regulations.

      Prices for food and other goods in Sverdlovsk Oblast and across the Ural Federal District may rise due to new freight transport rules that will come into force in 2026. It is expected that, starting next year, only companies included in the register of freight carriers will be able to deliver goods.

      The main feature of the new draft law on the register of freight carriers, according to industry representatives, is that companies would be removed from it on the basis of three violations. Overloads recorded at weigh-and-dimension control points will be counted among them.

      At the same time, fines have to be offset by building them into the transportation tariffs for that route. Other companies prefer to look for ways to bypass the stretch, although that is more expensive.

      Chelyabinsk entrepreneur Elena Glazyrina noted that fines on this stretch have already led to the closure of three companies. Last year 25% of participants left the market; this year up to 40% of entrepreneurs involved in freight transport may wind up their operations. And next year the share of closed companies could rise even further.

      “The problem can be solved in two ways: either build new roads or change standards that are frankly outdated. Why have they long been hauling 50 tons on five-axle trucks in China, while here that is considered a regulatory violation? Why were they able to do it, and we can’t do anything?” the EAN publication quotes Anna Petrova, head of the Gruzavtotrans branch for Sverdlovsk Oblast.

      Changing the usual routes again risks leading to higher logistics costs, and therefore higher prices for the goods themselves. To avoid losing work, carriers will have to route through compliant checkpoints.

      Earlier, an expert warned of a sharp rise in vegetable prices this winter.