Belarus extends embargo on importing number of Lithuanian goods until April 1, 2026
MINSK. Aug 28 (Interfax) - The Belarusian government has extended a previously introduced ban on importing certain goods from Lithuania until April 1, 2026, with the corresponding resolution of the Belarusian Council of Ministers published on the National Legal Portal.
The decision was made "in order to ensure protection of Belarusian national interests and in response to the unfriendly actions of Lithuania," the government said.
Belarus introduced a ban on importing a number of food and non-food items from Lithuanian territory on March 14, 2024. Since then, the following goods have been prohibited from import for sale and consumption in Belarus: water, beer, wine, grape must, vermouths, other fermented beverages, ethyl alcohol, vinegar, rubber pneumatic tires and casings, clothing and other used articles, and used parts and accessories of vehicles.
The introduction of the import ban was a retaliatory measure taken by the Belarusian authorities in response to Lithuania's decision to stop the movement of goods, vehicles and people through two border checkpoints.
Another retaliatory measure at the time was the expansion of the list of goods of Lithuanian origin prohibited from import and sale on Belarusian territory, which was adopted in December 2021. This list includes milk and condensed cream, fruits and nuts, coffee, fruit juices, water, vinegar, tights, hosiery, certain construction products, refrigerators, and freezers originating from Lithuania.
In addition, from January 1, 2022, Belarus introduced a six-month food embargo on the import of a wide range of Western goods from unfriendly countries, after which this decision was repeatedly extended. The list attached to the resolution includes two dozen items, including cattle meat, pork, milk and dairy products (except specialized products made from lactose-free milk), fruits and nuts, sausages, confectionery and vegetables.
Later, by a decision of the Belarusian government, the document was supplemented by "the introduction of a ban on importing beer and low-alcohol beverages from Lithuania and Poland, taking into account the production of similar products in Belarus in sufficient volumes."
The list of countries pursuing an unfriendly policy towards Belarus includes member countries of the European Union, the United States, Canada, Albania, Great Britain, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Switzerland.
