The EU’s new sanctions against Belarus aims to prevent sanctions circumvention
The EU has imposed new sanctions against Belarus. These export bans and restrictions is also a way of strengthening the impact of the sanctions against Russia. The aim of the new sanctions is to prevent that products subject to EU sanctions are transported to Russia via Belarus.
The sanctions imposed on export to Belarus cover the same product groups as the EU sanctions against Russia. The new sanctions package against Belarus bans the export of maritime navigation goods and technology and so called luxury goods, and extends the export sanctions on dual-use goods and high technology.
The sanctions also ban the entry of trailers and passenger cars registered in Belarus into the EU territory. There are certain exceptions to the ban. The sanctions also impose transit bans for goods exported from the EU to third countries via Belarus, for example dual-use goods, arms, and goods and technology suited for use in aviation or the space industry, as listed in the Regulation.
The sanctions against Belarus are also harmonised with the EU’s latest, 14th sanctions package against Russia. For example, the same measures for preventing sanctions circumvention that have been specified in the sanctions package against Russia are now imposed on Belarus.
– It is essential with regard to the impact of the EU sanctions that we prevent sanctions circumvention effectively and that possible leaks are eliminated. The idea of the sanctions against Belarus is indeed to eradicate any alternative transport routes for goods subject to sanctions that have been used for sanctions circumvention, says Sami Rakshit, Director General of Finnish Customs.
The new EU sanctions against Belarus have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The sanctions will enter into force at midnight on Monday, 1 July 2024.
Press release by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (30 June 2024): EU extends sanctions against Belarus
More information:
Sami Rakshit, Director General of Finnish Customs, contacts via the Finnish Customs Media Service, tel. 0295 527 150, viestinta@tulli.fi