Belarus plans no cuts in fuel supplies to Ukraine

Belarus has no plans to cut fuel supplies to Ukraine, reports Ezhednevnik quoting Belarusian state-owned petrochemical monopoly Belnaftahim's CEO Andrei Rybakou.

"We expect no problems with the supplies. The volume will remain more or less the same as in the previous year," Rybakou said. "We have a certain share of market in Ukraine, and we would like to keep it."

Russia's decision to ban the exports of light and dark oil products and liquified petroleum gas to Belarus might affect the volume of fuel exports to Ukraine. The Russian measure will come into force on 1 November 2018 and will be in effect through the end of 2019.

The Russian government has expressed numerous concerns that some of the oil products supplied from Russia to Belarus in the framework of the Customs Union without customs duties paid are re-exported to the third countries and the duties paid to the budget of Belarus. To prevent re-exports, Russia has proposed that Belarus provides realistic needs for fuel and whatever exceeds the required volume for the Belarusian economy is banned for exports to Belarus.

According to Belstat, Belarus exported 3.2 million tons of oil products worth $1.8 billion, 225.4 thousand tons of LPG worth of $203 million to Ukraine.