Belarus Abandons Vape Ban And Shifts To Strengthening Market Control

After weeks of discussion on whether to implement a comprehensive ban on vapes. Belarus ultimately did not impose a ban on vapes, but chose to regulate them through a stricter regulatory framework. President Alexander Lukashenko pointed out that a complete ban on sales could promote illegal imports and underground sales, put public health at risk, and result in a “zero harvest” of national finances.

Quick overview of key points
• Belarus has rejected a comprehensive ban on vapes and instead adopted a stricter regulatory approach.
• The authorities plan to restrict wholesale activities and strengthen licensing management in the import and production sectors.
• Officials estimate that about 77% of disposable vapes enter Belarus through illegal channels, resulting in a loss of approximately 130 million rubles in consumption tax; According to 2Firls calculations, this amount accounts for approximately 3% of the projected fiscal deficit in 2026.
• The retail system will be largely retained, but regulatory authorities have found that product compliance issues are more common during inspections.
• The legislative body plans to advance relevant bills in the first half of 2026, including the introduction of criminal liability provisions for selling products to minors.

On February 6th, a government meeting held in Minsk became a crucial turning point in policy direction. At the meeting, Lukashenko demanded that relevant departments rectify the order of the vape market and questioned the rationality of a comprehensive ban on the production and circulation of vapes.
“The call for restricting or even completely banning its production and circulation is increasing, “said Lukashenko.
However, he also pointed out that a comprehensive ban has obvious drawbacks. Will we create an underground market? If we don’t introduce (vapes), who will benefit? The final product will still flow in from the outside, “he said.
Lukashenko further pointed out that even if a ban is implemented, vapes may still enter Belarus through neighboring countries’ channels.
Belarus, along with Russia and four other former Soviet Union countries, belong to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) customs union system. Analysts point out that under the unified tariff framework, it is difficult to unilaterally ban certain types of goods, especially when other member countries still allow sales.

After the meeting, the Belarusian Anti Monopoly Service (MART) stated that it had discussed two paths – a comprehensive ban or strengthening regulation through legislation – and ultimately chose the latter.
MART Minister Artur Karpovich said, “We will prohibit the general public from engaging in wholesale trade of these products
He also stated that the government plans to implement stricter access mechanisms for the import process, allowing only a few importers authorized by the state to introduce vape products into the country.
This policy adjustment also has a clear fiscal background. According to data from the Belarusian National Food Industry Group (Belgospisheprom), approximately 77% of disposable vapes enter the market through illegal channels, resulting in an annual loss of approximately 130 million Belarusian rubles (Br 130 million, approximately 40.6 million US dollars) in consumption tax revenue for the country.

Based on our current understanding, there is no particularly large gathering market for vape wholesalers in Belarus vape industry. The vape stores and online retail stores in Minsk are doing very well. At present, the compliance market mainly consists of 2ml pod vape system. The brand has elfbar geekvape. While Hayati Fumot and others have good sales for disposable vape of big puffs. So far, we have not provided OEM vape processing services for domestic e-cigarette brands in Belarus.