MART on a new trade regulation: Belarusian goods will increase, but imported ones will also sell equally

shklovinfo 8 September 2026 13:42 Domestic goods will be more on store shelves, but imported ones will also sell equally. This was stated to journalists by First Deputy Minister of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Natalia Vasilevskaya, commenting on the introduction of a new trade regulation, reports the BELTA correspondent.

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

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 delivered to our retail outlets is largely supplied by Belarusian products. Especially regarding food. All of us enter a store and see an abundance of domestic cheese, dairy, sausage, confectionery products. The mandatory list contains the minimum number of product items that must be stocked on the shelf. After that, the retail chain and small rural stores 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, no problems should arise for retail chains, said Natalia Vasilevskaya.

She pointed out that when forming the list, it was also taken into account whether domestic producers could supply the required number of varieties. “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 through foreign-made

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 the goal to fine or punish someone. The goal is to put 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 need to fear a narrowing of the assortment. “The mandatory assortment list is the minimum amount of goods that must be on the shelf in a store in accordance with its format and sales area. This will lead to a greater presence of domestic goods for our consumers. At the same time, no one today limits a seller from having a wider range of foreign goods when there is demand for them. In short, Belarusian goods will be presented on the shelves not instead of, but together with imports,” she said, and also clarified that assortment lists do not apply to pharmacies, branded and discount stores.

Tags: Belarus, Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade. Next news: Growth of the Belarusian economy accelerated in January‑July.