Belarus drafts edict to regulate duty-free shops

Nicole Mezzasalma

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Customs chief says duty-free stores should operate in airports only

The State Customs Committee (SCC) of Belarus has drafted a presidential edict to regulate the operation of duty-free shops in the country’s borders, according to local press.

SCC chief Alyaksandr Shpilewski is reported to have said at a news conference in Minsk: “The customs committee is not [yet] aware of how duty-free stores will work.” He added that in most countries duty-free shops were open in airports only, and that Belarus should adopt a similar practice. The minister was probably referring to European Union countries, which cannot operate border stores on frontiers with other members of the union. However, they can still operate duty-free stores on borders with non-EU countries, so once Belarus joins the EU it could still operate such shops on its borders with Ukraine and Russia.

All duty-free stores in Belarus were forced to close following the introduction of a new Customs code on July 1, but RavenFox.com understands the airport shops have since reopened.