US sanctions on Belarus include petrochemicals, Treasury says

Nine state-owned enterprises in Belarus cited on a White House sanctions list include industrial plants and an oil trading platform, a Treasury spokesperson said.

President Joe Biden’s administration said Friday it was working on penalties to target Belarusian government officials over the forced landing of a Ryanair passenger jet and the arrest of a dissident journalist a week ago.

The U.S. also is reinstating sanctions against companies including Belarusian Oil Trade House and the petrochemical conglomerate Belneftekhim and its U.S. unit,, the spokesperson said Sunday.

Others based in Belarus include a tire maker, a fertilizer plant and a paint manufacturer, according to a Treasury list. The sanctions will be reimposed as of Thursday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday without naming the companies,

European Union officials have signaled that sanctions against Belarus would hit economic sectors close to President Alexander Lukashenko, including the country’s potash industry. U.S. trade with Belarus amounted to only about $112 million in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.