BREST: Belarus is very consistent in holding the import ban on European products and goods. The ban targets beef, pork, poultry, seafood, vegetables, fruits, and cheese and dairy products.
Russia imposed a year long ban on food imports from countries which had leveled a range of sanctions against Moscow, including the US, EU, Canada, Australia and Norway. The ban targets beef, pork, poultry, seafood, vegetables, fruits, and cheese and dairy products.
“We are not allowing food imports from the US, Canada, the EU and Norway to clear customs,” Vladimir Orlovsky, head of the Brest customs service.
If some food from the sanction list comes to the border, the Belarusian customs authorities send it back, according to him.
Since the Russian food embargo came into force, “near 50 vehicles carrying goods from the sanction list have not been allowed through the Belarusian border crossing Kozlovichi (at the Polish border – Sputnik)”.
The largest amount of trucks trying to cross the border with illegal goods came in August, Orlovsky clarified.
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“Now, the number of such vehicles has significantly decreased,” he added.
Answering whether false information is given as to the country of origin during customs clearance, he said: “If we see a bare contradiction in documents, a vehicle undergoes an enhanced control procedure. If the error is confirmed, we re-export the goods to the country of its origin.”
Speaking about the cooperation between Belarusian and Russian customs officials, Orlovsky said that after the goods pass customs for transit through to Russia, it has to undergo customs clearance by Russian officers.
“Our Russian colleagues find all of the information online about all the goods we process,” he stated.
