Market & legal data in the tobacco alternatives sector in Belarus

4th November 2024: Belarus: The National Assembly (a lower chamber of parliament) has adopted in the first reading a bill “amending the tax law” that would increase the tax rates on tobacco and nicotine-containing products from 1st January 2025. According to the bill, the tax rate for e-liquids would increase from BYN0.81 (€0.23) to BYN0.85 (€0.24) per ml, for heated tobacco consumables from BYN352.39 (€99) per kg to BYN370.01 (€104), and for nicotine pouches from BYN97.63 (€27) to BYN102.51 (€29).
12th September 2024: Commonwealth of Independent States: The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS, an intergovernmental organisation in Eurasia, consisting of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) has finished creating an action plan for all member states to prevent the harmful effects of tobacco and nicotine products on public health, media reports. Representatives from several member states have participated in a videoconference to discuss and make final edits to the plan. After the meeting, it was decided to get the plan approved domestically and then submit it to the CIS Council of Heads of Government for further review.
12th August 2024: EAEU: The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) – the executive body of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) – has told TobaccoIntelligence that the revised draft of the technical regulation for nicotine-containing products was recently reviewed at a meeting of the working group held on 16th July. At the meeting, it was decided to conduct a metrological expertise and regulatory impact assessments of the regulation. The EEC also said the draft regulation will have to undergo the internal approval process and further consideration at the meetings of the EEC and the EEC Council. The draft would provide the common product, notification and labelling requirements for vaping products and heated tobacco for all EAEU member states. However, considering the recent ban on vaping products in Kazakhstan, we understand the standard rules, if adopted, would not apply in Kazakhstan in relation to vaping products.
7th September 2023: Russia / Belarus: British American Tobacco (BAT) has announced that it has now formally entered into an agreement to sell its Russian and Belarusian businesses in compliance with local and international laws. According to the announcement, the buyer is a consortium led by members of BAT Russia’s management team which will wholly own both businesses. BAT highlighted that the transaction will be completed within the next month, and that the company will no longer have a presence in Russia or Belarus and will receive no financial gain from ongoing sales in these markets. The company first announced its intention to transfer the businesses in March 2022.
30th June 2023: Belarus: As of 1st July 2023, a licence to sell non-tobacco nicotine-containing products (nicotine pouches) will be required.
26th June 2023: Belarus: The Ministry of Taxes has issued a reminder that a licence to sell non-tobacco nicotine-containing products (nicotine pouches) and e-liquids will be required as of 1st July 2023.
10th January 2023: Belarus: Under a December 2022 amendment to the Tax Law, heated tobacco consumables will be taxed until 31st March at BYN226.68 (€84) per kg; then from 1st April to 30th June at BYN261.92 (€97) per kg; from 1st July to 30th September at BYN297.20 (€110.10) per kg; and from 1st October to 31st December at BYN332.44 (€123.15) per kg. Nicotine pouches are now taxed at BYN92.11 (€34) per kg. The law also introduced a BYN2.72 (€1) tax on heated tobacco devices.
14th December 2022: Belarus: Temporary licensing of imports of heated tobacco consumables has been introduced by Resolution of the Council of Ministers, media reports. Tobacco sticks may be imported from other members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) – Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia – and from other states only under licences issued by the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade. The resolution came into force on 11th December and is valid for six months.
13th December 2022: Belarus: Finance minister Yury Seliverstov has announced planned increases in 2023 in excise duties on tobacco products, bringing them level with Russian rates, media reports. It is also planned to introduce a tax on heated tobacco devices at the same rate as in Russia.
9th November 2022: EAEU: Representatives of all five Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia – attended a meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to discuss the regulation of nicotine-containing products. Members said all such products were “harmful” and that in line with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, heated tobacco products should be considered not as electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) but as tobacco and “regulated as strictly as traditional tobacco products” as there was no evidence that they are any less harmful than cigarettes.
7th October 2022: EAEU: In accordance with the decision of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission, heated tobacco products are included in the list of goods for personal use that can be imported into the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU, an economic union of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia) without payment of taxes, subject to quantity norms, namely up to 200 heated tobacco consumables. These norms apply to individuals age 21+ when entering Kazakhstan, and to those age 18+ when entering other EAEU member states. The decision comes into force tomorrow, 8th October 2022.
30th September 2022: Belarus: Under Presidential Decree №224, the tax rate for heated tobacco will increase to BYN178.77 ($70) per kg from 1st October.

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