Trade Regimes

In its trade and economic relations with other countries, the Republic of Belarus utilises 3 types of trade regimes:

— Free trade regime / free trade area

The free trade regime represents one of the closest forms of international economic integration. The establishment of this regime is carried out on a contractual basis between states that possess a very high level of trade, economic, and political ties.
The free trade regime provides for the abolition and future non-application of tariff and quantitative restrictions in mutual trade. Exemptions from the free trade regime may be established for particularly sensitive goods.

The Republic of Belarus has bilateral free trade area agreements with Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.

On 18 October 2011, the CIS Free Trade Area Treaty was signed, the parties to which are Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, and Ukraine. Uzbekistan acceded to the treaty separately.

The Republic of Belarus is also a party to the Agreement on the Creation of a Free Trade Area of 15 April 1994 (as amended on 2 April 1999), signed within the CIS framework. The Agreement continues to apply in relations with member states for which the CIS Free Trade Area Treaty of 18 October 2011 has not entered into force, in particular with Azerbaijan.

Furthermore, through an exchange of notes between their ministries of foreign affairs, the Republic of Belarus and Georgia recorded their agreement to apply the Agreement on the Creation of a Free Trade Area of 15 April 1994 to mutual trade following Georgia's withdrawal from the CIS.

The success of Eurasian economic integration contributes to the growing interest of foreign states in cooperation with Belarus and the Eurasian Economic Union as a whole.

In accordance with Article 35 of the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union of 29 May 2014, a free trade regime with a third party is established on the basis of an international treaty between the Eurasian Economic Union and such third party.

On 29 May 2015, following three years of negotiations, the Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, of the other part was signed. The Agreement entered into force on 5 October 2016. This international treaty provides for the elimination or significant reduction of import duties on practically all key items of Belarusian exports to Viet Nam.

On 25 October 2019, the Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Union and its Member States, on the one part, and the People's Republic of China, of the other part entered into force, and on 27 October 2019, the Interim Agreement leading to the formation of a free trade area between the Eurasian Economic Union and its Member States, on the one part, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, of the other part came into effect. Both agreements were signed on 17 May 2018 within the framework of the Astana Economic Forum.

In 2019, the EAEU member states concluded negotiations on free trade agreements with Singapore and Serbia. The Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Serbia, of the other part entered into force on 10 July 2021. Work is underway in the EAEU member states to carry out the domestic procedures necessary for the entry into force of the Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Singapore, of the other part.

On 25 December 2023, a full-scale Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, of the other part was signed, which entered into force on 15 May 2025, replacing the Interim Agreement.

On 27 June 2025, the Interim Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and its Member States, on the one part, and Mongolia, of the other part and the Economic Partnership Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and its Member States, on the one part, and the United Arab Emirates, of the other part were signed in Minsk, followed on 21 December 2025 by the Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Indonesia, of the other part. Currently, the EAEU member states are carrying out the necessary procedures for these agreements to enter into force.

Negotiations continue on EAEU preferential trade agreements with Egypt, India, and Tunisia.

— Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) treatment

Most-favoured-nation treatment implies the inclusion of provisions in international treaties and agreements whereby each contracting party undertakes to grant the other party terms in economic, trade, and other relations no less favourable than those it grants or will grant in the future to any third state. MFN status is established on a mutual basis through the conclusion of multilateral and bilateral international treaties.

In trade with countries granted MFN status, the rates approved by the Common Customs Tariff of the Eurasian Economic Union apply.

— Preferential regime (system of preferences)

Detailed information is available in the ‘Tariff Regulation’ section.