Photo: BELTA

Domestic goods will become more plentiful on store shelves, but imported items will also sell equally. This was announced to journalists by First Deputy Minister of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Natalia Vasilevskaya, commenting on the introduction of a new norm in trade.

The Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade has decided to temporarily introduce a norm regarding the presence of Belarusian products in the trade assortment. This is codified in the MART resolution dated August 20, 2026, No. 48. The document will enter into force 15 days after its official publication, i.e., from September 10.

«In my view, there will be no major changes for retail outlets. I am confident that even today the mandatory assortment list that has been brought to our retail outlets is largely supplied by Belarusian products. Especially when it comes to food. All of us enter a store and see an abundance of domestic cheese, dairy, sausage, confectionery products. The mandatory list contains a minimum number of product items that must be stocked on the shelf. After that, both the retail chain and a small rural shop determine their own assortment policy. If foreign-made goods are in demand, they will be placed next to Belarusian goods and sold on equal footing. Therefore, retail chains should not encounter any problems,» said Natalia Vasilevskaya.

She pointed out that when forming the list, it was also taken into account whether domestic producers could supply the necessary variety. «If these are critical import goods that are produced in Belarus in insufficient quantities, there is a note that this list may also be complied with using foreign-made goods,» she noted.

Natalia Vasilevskaya noted that there is administrative liability, but the fines are small. And if a violation of the assortment list is found for the first time, the business entity will be limited to a warning. «It is not worth the goal of fining or punishing someone. The goal is to present our Belarusian goods on the shelves. I hope that the share of domestic goods will increase this year,» she emphasized.

The First Deputy Minister assured that there is no reason to fear a narrowing of the assortment. “The mandatory assortment list is the minimum range of goods that must be on the shelf in a store, in accordance with its format and sales area. This will result in a greater presence of domestic goods for our consumers. At the same time, no one currently limits a seller from offering a wider range of foreign goods when there is demand for them. In short, Belarusian products will be displayed on shelves not in place of, but alongside imports,” she said, also clarifying that the assortment lists do not apply to pharmacies, branded and discount stores.