Big Trouble in White Russia

Just when you thought it was safe to enjoy milk from Belarus, Gennady Onishchenko, head of Russia's Consumer Protection agency, announced that Belarusian dairy producers are violating the sanitary standards agreed upon in June. Last month, the two countries were engaged in a 'milk war' for a few weeks after Russia found that Belarusian producers did not meet new sanitary and packaging standards. As a result, the Russian government imposed an almost total ban on Belarusian dairy imports. This had massive repercussions for the Belarusian economy, as 95% of Belarus' dairy exports go to Russia. Many speculated that the ban was politically motivated, as Belarus seemed to be turning westward by joining the European Union's Eastern Partnership and drumming up Western investment. In any case, it remains to be seen if new trade restrictive measures will be imposed.