The government explained this by “unfriendly actions towards the Belarusian people”. The sanctions covered the products of Liqui Moly, Škoda Auto and Beiersdorf cosmetics (brands Nivea, Eucerin and others)
The government of Belarus has banned the import of a number of goods, according to the website of the Cabinet of Ministers.
“To ensure the protection of national interests, taking into account unfriendly actions against the Belarusian people, the government has established a list of goods prohibited for import and sale on the territory of the Republic of Belarus,” the message says.
The products of the following manufacturers have become sanctioned:
- the German company Liqui Moly, which produces automotive oils, lubricants and additives;
- Czech car manufacturer Škoda Auto;
- German manufacturer of skin care products Beiersdorf AG (brands Nivea, Eucerin, Tesa, Hanspalast, etc.).
If prohibited goods are identified when imported into the country, they will be sent back. If sanctioned products are found in stores, markets, exhibitions, fairs or online sales, the sellers will be ordered to ban the sale of such goods.
At the same time, these measures will not apply to goods imported by citizens for personal use. Cars registered in the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union and imported into one of the member countries of the organization on a temporary basis will also fall under the exception.
Sellers who have unsold sanctioned goods will have to suspend their sale and take an inventory within five days. After another five days, copies of the inventory must be submitted to the tax office and within three months the remains of the sanctioned products must be labeled. Only then will it be possible to continue trading these goods.
This sanctions list will be valid for six months.
The manufacturer Nivea announced its refusal to sponsor the Ice Hockey World Championship on January 16. The company indicated that they oppose all forms of discrimination and violence, and if the championship is held in Belarus, the company will not finance it. This was followed by the refusal of Skoda and Liqui Moly. On January 18, the International Ice Hockey Federation announced the postponement of the championship from Minsk.
In August last year, protests began in Belarus after the CEC awarded the victory in the presidential elections to the incumbent head of state, Alexander Lukashenko. In response, the country’s authorities began to detain the protesters, and some of the opposition members were arrested. Lukashenko’s opponent in the elections, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, left the country. Later, the Belarusian authorities put her on the wanted list.
The EU and the US have imposed sanctions on the Belarusian authorities. Lukashenka himself was included in the sanctions list. He stated that the elections were held legitimately. Moscow recognized their results.
At the end of March, Lukashenko signed a decree providing for the introduction of a ban on the import of certain categories of goods into Belarus and the import of services if they are produced or performed by countries that have imposed sanctions against the country. The document was adopted in order to ensure security and protect the national interests of Belarus, the presidential press service said.
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