Belarus bans Latvian canned fish, books, electronic goods

October 20, Pozirk. Belarus’ newly imposed ban on Latvian imports applies to goods across 38 codes and positions of the Eurasian Economic Union’s commodity classification system.

In particular, the ban covers foodstuffs (canned fish and dietary supplements), leisure products (fishing and hunting gear), and interior goods (decorative items, wooden frames, furniture and furniture components).

The directive also applies to printed material (books, newspapers, reproductions, manuscripts), certain textile products (cotton wool, blankets, travel rugs), and a range of metal products (grilles, meshes, chains, saw blades, and cutting tools).

The ban targets machinery related goods (motor vehicle fittings, engines, agricultural machinery components, bearings) and electrical equipment (small transformers, data transmission devices including routers, antennas, sound recording media, and circuit protection equipment).

The Belarusian government announced the ban on October 19, citing Riga’s “continued unconstructive approach and unfriendly rhetoric.”

The announcement came a few days after Alaksandar Łukašenka denied that there had been a standoff between armed human traffickers and Latvian border guards at the border between Belarus and Latvia in early October. “We know perfectly well, and I’ve already been briefed on this, that this was all done by the Latvians themselves as a pretext to get money from the European Union,” he said.

According to Riga, a group of masked gunmen attempted to push 20 migrants from Belarus into Latvian territory on October 6, shouting threats at Latvian border guards. Several hours later, masked individuals reportedly crossed the Latvian border from Belarus, damaged a relay cabinet and stole surveillance cameras before retreating to the Belarusian territory.

Latvia’s Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava condemned the incident as a “demonstrative and aggressive provocation.” Minsk “should realize that such incidents may result in more serious consequences for Belarus,” he warned.

Economy Politics

Economy, Politics

Minsk bans imports of food and industrial goods from Latvia

October 19, Pozirk. The Belarusian government has announced a ban on the import of “certain goods” from Latvia into Belarus, citing Riga’s “continued unconstructive approach and unfriendly rhetoric.” The ban covers a wide range of products, including canned fish and …

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