The Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce can answer questions from companies directly or indirectly affected by the war in Ukraine via its new dedicated helpdesk. Photo: Romain Gamba/Maison Moderne (archives)

The Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce can answer questions from companies directly or indirectly affected by the war in Ukraine via its new dedicated helpdesk. Photo: Romain Gamba/Maison Moderne (archives)

The Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce has set up an email address and a telephone line dedicated to the war in Ukraine, to answer questions from Luxembourg companies directly or indirectly concerned. Fewer than ten requests were received in four days.

It is called the “economic sanctions helpdesk”, but it concerns all Luxembourg companies affected, directly or indirectly, by the war in Ukraine. The helpdesk was set up by the Chamber of Commerce on Friday 11 March with the support of the foreign affairs, finance and economy ministries.

“There are currently about 50 companies active in Ukraine, a few more in Russia. A dozen or so are represented in Russia; in Ukraine, a little less," says Carlo Thelen, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce. The helpdesk is aimed at businesses that must comply with the economic sanctions against Russia, or may have difficulties in receiving certain raw materials, for example. But also for “transport companies that occasionally work in this market, or those that have lost their Ukrainian drivers to the war,” he explains. “There are also questions about hiring Ukrainian people. It’s very diverse.”

On its website, the helpdesk cites the financial sector (stock market indices, inflation, currency devaluations), energy (companies and individuals), critical raw materials (for certain specific products such as semi-conductors), agri-food (food and feed) and logistics (continuity of supply chains).

Favouring emails

For the moment, fewer than a dozen requests have been received. The Chamber of Commerce said companies can contact it by email at [email protected], to give the teams time to find the answers to their questions.

Two people are actively working at the helpdesk to collect questions from businesses, dispatch them and answer them. For more complex queries, an extended team can be called in. It consists of three people from the Chamber of Commerce and representatives from the ministries involved.

The average response time is “one to two days”, says Cindy Tereba, director of international affairs at the Chamber of Commerce. “If it takes longer, we inform the company directly.” But so far, all the requests sent in have been answered. She expects more requests in the coming days or weeks.

More information, as well as links to several official sources, .

This story was first published in French on . It has been translated and edited for Delano.