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Belarus raises export duties on oil, petroleum products up to Russia’s level

The export duty on liquefied hydrocarbon gases will go up from 75.5 U.S. dollars per tonne to 121.3 U.S. dollars per tonne

MINSK, September 30 (Itar-Tass) - Belarus raises duties on oil and petroleum products it exports outside the Customs Union [of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan] up to Russia’s level from October 1, according to a resolution of the country’s Council of Ministers that was made public on Monday.

Under the document, the crude export duty will go up to 416.4 U.S. dollars per tonne from 400.7 U.S. dollars per tonne. The duty on light and middle distillates and diesel fuel will be increased to 274.8 U.S. dollars per tonne from 264.4 U.S. dollars per tonne. The same level of export duties will be applicable to benzene, toluene, xylene, lubricants, processed oil products, petrolatum and hard wax.

The export duty on liquefied hydrocarbon gases will go up from 75.5 U.S. dollars per tonne to 121.3 U.S. dollars per tonne.

Since 2011, Belarus has been importing Russia’s oil free of charge, but has been transfering to the Russian budget proceeds from import customs duties on petroleum products manufactured of this crude oil and sold to third countries. Annually, Belarus produces about 1.7 million tonnes of its own oil and transfers export duties from the sale of this oil to the republican budget. Under the Russian-Belarusian intergovernmental agreement, the two countries plan to harmonize the schedule and the rates of export duties on oil and petroleum products.

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