OREANDA-NEWS. On August 01, 2007 the Government of Belarus has increased the export duty on crude oil. Starting August 1, 2007, the export duty will be as high as $223,9 per tonne instead of $200,6. The raise is stipulated by the Council of Ministers' resolution No. 366 of March 24, 2007. The resolution was adopted in line with decree No. 60 “Customs Export Duties”, reported the Official website government.by.

Starting August 1 export duties on petroleum products will be as high as Russian ones. The export duty on light and middle distillates, gas oil, propane, butane, ethylene, propylene, butylene, butadiene, other liquefied gases, benzol, toluene, xylene will be as high as $163,2 per tonne. The previous duty was as high as $147,5 per tonne. The export duty on liquid fuel, engine oils, processed oil products, petroleum ointment, mineral tallow, petroleum coke, oil bitumen and oil refining residues produced from bituminous rocks is set at $87,9 per tonne. The previous export duty was as large as $79,4.

The decision is attributed to the Russian Federation raising its export duties as from August 1. In line with the Belarusian-Russian intergovernmental agreement, Belarus’ export duties on oil and oil products are equalled with Russia’s. The Belarusian export duties are supposed to come into force on the date export duties of the Russian Federation do.

In line with Belarusian-Russian agreements the duty on oil Russia exports to Belarus is calculated using the multiplier 0,293.