EU expands sanctions on Belarus for circumventing restrictions against Russia

The European Union has expanded sanctions against Belarus for circumventing restrictions against Russia, should from a statement by the European Commission (EC).

The ban is introduced on the supply to the republic of products that contribute to the “military-technical improvement” of the country. “The council is also imposing an additional ban on the export of firearms and ammunition, as well as goods and technologies suitable for use in the aviation and space industries,” the statement said.

At the end of June, the EU announced the creation of a phased mechanism of restrictions against “third countries” that help the Russian Federation bypass restrictions on a number of technologies and goods, including dual-use ones.

According to the document, published on June 23, such bans will be introduced if the restrictions against individuals do not work, and cooperation with a “third country” does not give “expected results”. If the circumvention of sanctions continues to be “substantial and systemic”, Brussels, as “exceptional, extreme measures”, intends to introduce secondary restrictions against entire jurisdictions.

In March 2022, after the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions against Russia, the government legalized parallel imports. It involves the importation of original goods into the country without the permission of the copyright holder or manufacturer. The list of products for import under parallel import includes goods of electronics manufacturers (Apple, SamsungIntel, Asus, etc.), cars (Porsche, Jaguar, Rolls-Royce, etc.), rare earth metals, sports equipment, etc.