{"id":154479,"date":"2025-09-09T13:59:56","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T10:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/154479\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T13:59:58","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T10:59:58","slug":"shrinking-exports-rising-imports-put-pressure-on-belarusian-economy","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/154479\/","title":{"rendered":"Shrinking exports, rising imports put pressure on Belarusian economy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka on September 8 acknowledged that some Belarusian companies were struggling to maintain their positions on the Russian market. The biggest challenge for Belarus today, he told Ihar Sierhiejenka, chairman of the lower house, is to offset the exports it can no longer sell in Russia. He stressed that companies should focus on finding customers in more distant markets in Africa, Asia, and South America.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"block-image block-image-normal\">\n\n    <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1128\" height=\"752\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/export_import_pixabay_1128x752.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/export_import_pixabay_1128x752.jpg 1128w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/export_import_pixabay_1128x752-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/export_import_pixabay_1128x752-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/export_import_pixabay_1128x752-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/export_import_pixabay_1128x752-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1128px) 100vw, 1128px\" \/>\n    <figcaption>\n        \n                    <div class=\"block-image__author\">\n                                <span>(AbsolutVision \/ pixabay.com)<\/span>\n            <\/div>\n            <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Hit by international sanctions over human rights abuses and support for Russia\u2019s war of aggression against Ukraine, the country has faced difficulties redirecting exports from west to east. Belarus now runs a large deficit in trade in goods, while consumers increasingly prefer imports over domestically produced items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The closure of Klaipeda port for Belarusian transit, along with restrictions on access to European Union and Ukrainian markets, has further undermined economic stability and pushed officials to frantically seek alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trade deficit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The deficit in trade in goods has widened as imports continue to rise and exports decline. A surplus in services exports has not been sufficient to offset the imbalance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-flourish wp-block-embed-flourish\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"Interactive or visual content\" src=\"https:\/\/flo.uri.sh\/visualisation\/24987829\/embed#?secret=tdweXwULIl\" data-secret=\"tdweXwULIl\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" height=\"575\" width=\"500\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Belarus\u2019 trade deficit with countries outside the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) has grown sharply, while export growth to Russia has slowed amid that country\u2019s own economic stagnation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-flourish wp-block-embed-flourish\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"Interactive or visual content\" src=\"https:\/\/flo.uri.sh\/visualisation\/24988013\/embed#?secret=uUWcMATrfI\" data-secret=\"uUWcMATrfI\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" height=\"575\" width=\"500\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Russian market shrinking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The government\u2019s push to redirect exports to Russia was a predictable response to Western sanctions. Yet this policy has clear limits as Russian consumer demand contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, Belarus has been used as a route to bypass sanctions against Russia, leaving some restricted goods stuck in Belarus and competing directly with domestic manufacturers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chinese breakthrough \u2014 and its limits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Although Minsk presented \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s recent meetings with Chinese leaders as a foreign policy success, no major joint projects have materialized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In early September, \u0141uka\u0161enka met with executives of Shandong Lisente Agrotechnology to encourage the company to launch a greenhouse project in Belarus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That such a modest initiative required the attention of the head of state speaks volumes about the actual state of Chinese-Belarusian economic relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Belarus has little to offer China beyond crop nutrients and raw timber. For its part, Beijing views Belarus mainly as a supplier of raw materials and a market for Chinese equipment and high-tech goods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Imports on the rise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Imports are climbing because Belarus relies heavily on foreign components and materials to produce goods for domestic consumption. At the same time, the cost of imported supplies has risen due to sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consumers, whose purchasing power has improved thanks to higher wages and affordable loans, also prefer imported products for their better quality. As a result, imports have outpaced exports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The central bank has taken steps to curb consumer lending in an effort to cool imports, but the impact of these measures will take time to show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What authorities can do<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The government\u2019s potential options include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Allowing the Belarusian rubel to weaken in order to boost exports<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Restricting imports<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Slowing wage growth<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Any of these steps\u2014or a combination of them\u2014would carry costs. Separate measures or a \u201ccocktail\u201d of restrictions are unlikely to benefit ordinary Belarusians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"insert-block\">\n\n    <div class=\"insert-block__img\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" width=\"354\" height=\"236\" src=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pozirk_color_blank_1128x752-354x236.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pozirk_color_blank_1128x752-354x236.jpg 354w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pozirk_color_blank_1128x752-734x490.jpg 734w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pozirk_color_blank_1128x752-178x118.jpg 178w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pozirk_color_blank_1128x752-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pozirk.online\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pozirk_color_blank_1128x752.jpg 1128w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 354px) 100vw, 354px\" \/>                        <label class=\"insert-block__tag--mobile\"> Economy<\/label>\n\n                <\/div>\n    <div class=\"insert-block__text\">\n                    <label class=\"insert-block__tag\">Economy<\/label>\n                <h3 class=\"insert-block__title\">\u0141uka\u0161enka: losing Russia exports greatest problem<\/h3>\n        <div class=\"insert-block__descr\">September 8, Pozirk. The greatest problem facing Belarus is to offset the exports it objectively cannot sell in Russia, Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka said. \u201cWe must work on that in the \u2018far arc\u2019 countries as well,\u201d he told Ihar Sierhiejenka, chairman of &#8230;<\/div>\n        <a class=\"insert-block__btn-block\" href=\"\/en\/news\/154360\">\n            <button class=\"btn\">\n                <div class='btn__text'>Read<\/div>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka on September 8 acknowledged that some Belarusian companies were struggling to maintain their positions on the Russian market. The biggest challenge for Belarus today, he told Ihar Sierhiejenka, chairman of the lower house, is to offset the exports it can no longer sell in Russia. He stressed that companies should focus on finding [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":108182,"template":"","rubric":[24],"class_list":["post-154479","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Shrinking exports, rising imports put pressure on Belarusian economy | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka on September 8 acknowledged that some Belarusian companies were struggling to maintain their positions on the Russian market. 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