EU plans to ban exports of luxury cars, dual-use goods to Belarus
May 23, Pozirk. The European Union plans to tighten sanctions against Minsk and close the loopholes that allow Russia to import luxury vehicles, Financial Times (FT) reported.
New sanctions may also apply to exports of technologies and goods that can have military use.
By January, EU-Belarus automotive exports, originating mostly from Germany and Poland, soared to $268 million from $50 million recorded two years ago. EU customs officials believe Belarusian companies are intermediaries in Russian smuggling chains.
Last year, Belarusian suppliers facilitated delivery to Russia of at least 28 Maybachs with an average price of $217,000 each, according to Russian data.
“The folks around [Alaksandar] Łukašenka who had ties to Russia were big beneficiaries of this. They were enriching themselves,” FT cited Vytis Jurkonis of the Vilnius-based Freedom House think-tank.
The EU has been planning to expand its sanctions against Belarus since early May, reports said. New restrictions may ban EU companies from selling luxury goods, maritime navigation equipment, as well as goods and technology for the oil and gas industry. Sanctions may also apply to Belarusian exports of gold, oil, gas and diamonds.
In March, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania stopped allowing cars with an engine capacity of more than 1.9 liters and worth more than €50,000, to enter Belarus. Warsaw described the move as “an effective measure to eradicate the practice of sanctions evasion.”
Lithuanian customs officers seize two Tesla Cybertrucks on way to Belarus
- SecurityPoland accuses Belarusian national of spying for MinskThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyJournalist Vadzim Doŭnar diesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- Elections, PoliticsPutin wishes Belarusians a “smooth” presidential electionThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsIllegal Belarus-EU crossings on the rise in early NovemberThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- SocietyBorder committee reports spike in queues to enter Poland by carThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietySupreme Court to try another dead Nazi criminal on November 19The material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals: authorities arrest and blacklist opponents ahead of presidential raceThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SocietyGovernment moves to shut down 35-year-old NGOThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsOver 1,800 Belarusian NGOs dissolved since 2020 election, report findsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Elections, PoliticsKanapackaja may criticize Russia, Putin, ex-party mate saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsInterior ministry unveils massive extremism list updateThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyŁukašenka proposes cut to production of mineral fertilizersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityŁukašenka tells KGB to purge foreign ministry of “traitors”The material is available only to POZIRK+
- Elections, The Viewer
- Economy
- Elections, PoliticsKGB brands local chats as extremist groups in new wave of reprisalsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- EconomyCurrency weakening not harbinger of collapse – expertThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsRights group: KGB arresting critics fearing a plotThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- SocietyAuthorities count on working pensioners amid labor shortageThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsDissident art manager released from prisonThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Elections, Politics
- PoliticsŁukašenka praises civil aviation hit by Western sanctionsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsMore Russian drone incursions into Belarus overnight – reportsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyRubel's fall against US dollar accelerates at cash exchange offices in OctoberThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsIllegal Belarus-EU crossings plunge in OctoberThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsŁukašenka's supporters dominate in election commissionsThe material is available only to POZIRK+