EU imposes ban on Belarusian furniture linked to torture allegations

Posted on July 19, 2024   |  

The EU has banned the import of Belarusian furniture, responding to demands from Ukrainian and Belarusian groups and Earthsight.

Announced at the end of June, the ban targets furniture under customs codes 9401 and 9403, which fund Belarus's role in the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

This ban stops the EU from buying Belarusian wood furniture worth over 112 million Euros from April 2023 to April 2024, totaling over a quarter of a billion Euros since the invasion began.

Recently, Germany and Poland were the main entry points for Belarusian furniture, with Lithuania and Romania also receiving imports.

Contracts made before July 1, 2024, can still be fulfilled until October 2, 2024, despite the ban.

The new rules also ban imports of coal and diamonds and expand export bans on dual-use goods.

The decision aims to close the 'Belarus Gap,' preventing Belarus from being used to bypass sanctions and send restricted goods to Russia from the EU.