Belarus Grain Exports Again Limited! 18 Types of Grains Will Be Affected by Six-Month Licensing System, Market May Face Fluctuations!

Russian satellite news agency Minsk, October 8: The Belarusian government announced that it will again implement a six-month license system for the export of some food varieties, and the relevant official documents have been published on the national legal portal.

"This adjustment is based on a temporary licensing scheme developed by the Ministry of Antitrust Regulation and Trade in consultation with the cantons and the Executive Committee of the City of Minsk to regulate the export of goods produced locally in Belarus and listed in the annex to other countries outside the Eurasian Economic Union member states," the document states. This regime also applies to exports from Belarus to non-member States outside the Customs area of the Eurasian Economic Union when goods are transshipped in accordance with customs export procedures."

The annex details 18 codes in the EAEU Unified Commodity List of External Economic activities, covering wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, buckwheat, broomcorn, triticale, rapeseed, sunflower seeds and other food categories.

The documents also elaborate on the specific process for applicants to obtain a one-time export license, including but not limited to cases where the export approval is refused, such as the domestic market demand for the goods to be exported is not met, or the applicant is not the actual producer of the goods.

In particular, this decision does not apply to the supply of international humanitarian assistance and to the transit of goods originating and ending outside Belarus.

The policy change will take effect on October 14 and will be valid for six months. The move follows similar export controls imposed by the Belarusian government in April and last year.