Latvia: Cars registered in Belarus now banned from entering

Vehicles registered in Belarus are banned from entering Latvia as of 16 July 2024, the State Revenue Service (VID) announced, LSM reports. The ban applies to automotive vehicles as well as trailers and semi-trailers. Vehicles registered in Belarus that are already in Latvia will have to be reregistered. Non-compliant vehicles can be confiscated and transferred to Ukraine, LETA reports. The new ban is part of the EU’s eighth sanctions package against Belarus and is aimed at reducing the risk of sanctions evasion. Similar restrictions were previously imposed on vehicles registered in Russia. Meanwhile, the Belarusian exile opposition argued that the new restrictions were “hasty and harmful,” saying that they hurt people, not the Belarusian regime.