Belarus said on Tuesday (December 7) that it is banning food imports from some Western countries after the United States and Europe have expanded sanctions against Minsk due to a serious relationship crisis.
The Belarusian government issued a decree stating that from January 1st, the import of various foods from the European Union, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Norway and several other countries is prohibited.
The government said in a statement: “Considering that the West collectively continue to try to impose illegal sanctions on our country, retaliatory measures have been taken.”
The Belarusian authorities have published a long list of banned foods, including meat, dairy products, vegetables, sweets and salt. It added that more products may be banned in the future.
The government stated that the ban will take effect for six months.
Belarus stated that in the first ten months of 2021, the value of food imported from countries affected by the ban exceeded US$530 million.
Minsk stated that for the “benefits” of Belarusian nationals, certain items-such as baby food-will not be restricted by the ban.
“Importers, manufacturers and retail chains will focus on replacing non-Belarusian products with supplies from friendly countries,” the government added, which is clearly a nod to Russia.
The United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada expanded sanctions against Belarus because the strongman Alexander Lukashenko suppressed protests against his controversial re-election in 2020.
Last week, the United States, Canada, and European allies increased pressure on the Lukashenko regime and expanded sanctions on officials and companies suspected of triggering an immigration crisis for political reasons.
The sanctions targeted senior security and judicial officials, well-known media figures, one of Lukashenko’s sons, defense-related companies and major fertilizer exporters.
The targets also include the national airline Belavia, travel agencies and hotels, which cooperated with the government to lure thousands of Middle Eastern migrants to the borders of Poland and Lithuania, triggering immigration and humanitarian crises.
Lukashenko denied that he was responsible for the influx. Russia criticized the West for imposing new sanctions on Belarus.
In banning Western food imports, Lukashenko followed in the footsteps of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. In 2014, Moscow imposed a ban on Western cheese, meat and other products in retaliation for sanctions on Ukraine.
