EU reinstates sanctions against Belarusian tire maker

MINSK. March 2 (Interfax) - The Council of the European Union has reinstated sanctions against Belarusian tire manufacturer Belshina, a decision published in the EU's official journal shows.

Belshina was included in the EU's sanctions list on December 2, 2021 along with other Belarusian companies subject to EU restrictive measures. The company appealed the decision of the EU Council in the Court of Justice of the EU and in March 2024 the court lifted the sanctions.

The document published in the EU journal also supplements the reasoning for sanctions against a number of other Belarusian companies, citing Belarus's support for Russia in its military operation in Ukraine, and involvement in "the repression of civil society in Belarus." Such companies in the sanctions list include Belaruskali, Grodno Azot (including its branch Khimvolokno Plant), Beltechexport and 140 Repair Plant.

Belshina, one of the largest tire producers in the CIS, manufactures more than 300 types of tires for cars, light and heavy trucks, construction, road and material handling equipment, electric vehicles, buses, tractors and farm machinery. The company has plants that make OTR tires, giant OTR tires and mass market tires, a mechanical plant and other production management and distribution divisions.

It was reported earlier that the EU Council decided to extended sanctions against Belarus for another year, to February 28, 2027.

EU sanctions now apply to 312 Belarusian individuals and 57 companies and organizations. Their assets in the EU are frozen, EU citizens and companies are prohibited from conducting financial transactions with them and persons included in the sanctions lists are barred from entering EU countries. There are also economic sanctions in trade, finance, transport, energy and other sectors aimed at reducing the Belarusian authorities' revenues and preventing the circumvention of sanctions.