EU plans to ban exports of luxury cars, dual-use goods to Belarus

May 23, Pozirk. The European Union plans to tighten sanctions against Minsk and close the loopholes that allow Russia to import luxury vehicles, Financial Times (FT) reported.
New sanctions may also apply to exports of technologies and goods that can have military use.
By January, EU-Belarus automotive exports, originating mostly from Germany and Poland, soared to $268 million from $50 million recorded two years ago. EU customs officials believe Belarusian companies are intermediaries in Russian smuggling chains.
Last year, Belarusian suppliers facilitated delivery to Russia of at least 28 Maybachs with an average price of $217,000 each, according to Russian data.
“The folks around [Alaksandar] Łukašenka who had ties to Russia were big beneficiaries of this. They were enriching themselves,” FT cited Vytis Jurkonis of the Vilnius-based Freedom House think-tank.
The EU has been planning to expand its sanctions against Belarus since early May, reports said. New restrictions may ban EU companies from selling luxury goods, maritime navigation equipment, as well as goods and technology for the oil and gas industry. Sanctions may also apply to Belarusian exports of gold, oil, gas and diamonds.
In March, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania stopped allowing cars with an engine capacity of more than 1.9 liters and worth more than €50,000, to enter Belarus. Warsaw described the move as “an effective measure to eradicate the practice of sanctions evasion.”

Lithuanian customs officers seize two Tesla Cybertrucks on way to Belarus
- Economy
- Politics, SecurityŁukašenka accuses West of militarization ahead of Zapad 2025 drillThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- EconomyPrivate companies’ overdue loan debt rises six-fold year on yearThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyIndividuals’ overdue debt on loans up 23.6 percentThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics, SecurityDead Eritrean found near shared border with Latvia, Belarus saysThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Germany news, PoliticsGerman MPs join For a Democratic Belarus group’s new lineupThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyPutin’s crony delivering goods from occupied Ukraine to BelarusThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsReprisals: concerns grow over jailed pundit Kaściuhova’s healthThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyLibyan delegation in MinskThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyUpper house approves fines for vegetable shortagesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsŁukašenka says Belarusians should be grateful to his government for staying out warThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyWoman killed by hit-and-run Belarusian in PolandThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsFour more people recognized as political prisonersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsUpper house passes bill to ban “extremists” from educationThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyBelarusian universities to offer 1,000 tuition-free places for Russians this yearThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- SocietyPoland seizes medical products from Belarus with Interpol involvementThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyKuźniacoŭ replaces Jafimaŭ as industry ministerThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsRights defenders label seven as political prisonersThe material is available only to POZIRK+