2005 press releases

Warning on Confiscation of Goods in Belarus

The government of the Republic of Belarus routinely confiscates goods in transit through the country. These goods are seized and resold in a series of special shops throughout Belarus. In some cases the Belarusian government also confiscates the vehicle carrying the seized goods. The official reasons for confiscation vary, but include: clerical errors on invoices, missing signatures on paperwork, minor discrepancies between inventory and cargo, or claims by the Belarusian authorities that either the shipping or receiving company does not exist or went out of business.

The Embassy of the United States of America in Minsk endeavors to help any and all American companies that have had goods seized by Belarusian customs. Whenever any American owned cargo is seized by Belarusian customs, please contact the Economic Section of the U.S. Embassy in Minsk at 375-17-210-1283. However, these confiscations appear to be increasing in frequency, and many other European and Asian countries are also losing cargos. Therefore, the U.S. Government strongly advises U.S. businesses not to transit goods through Belarus, but to seek alternate routings.