May 22, Pozirk. The Belarusian Council of Ministers expanded the list of goods produced in countries that Minsk considers “unfriendly” and banned for import and sale in Belarus.
The move targets all kinds of drinking water as well as several groups of goods produced in Czechia, Poland and the Baltic states. These include beer, hygiene and skincare products, deodorants, bedding, carpets, tableware, varnishes, paints and others, according to amended Directive No 700 adopted in late 2021 in response to Western sanctions against Belarus.
The government linked the move to Latvia’s ban on imports of food from Belarus, Lithuania’s one-year ban on agricultural imports as well as higher duties on Belarusian agricultural products proposed by the five countries at the European Union level.
In mid-March, Belarus banned imports of condensed milk products, coffee, juices, vinegar, fruit, nuts, tights and socks from Lithuania after Vilnius closed two checkpoints on its shared border with Belarus.
Earlier, Minsk took similar measures against Latvia after it had closed the Silene checkpoint in September 2023.
Also read: EU to impose duties on grain imports from Belarus, Russia
