OREANDA-NEWS. October 17, 2012. Belarus has opened a competitive tender to distribute the fish import quota for 2013, the interdepartmental tendering commission said in a statement.

Bids are accepted till November 6, 2012.

Bidders are to submit their applications, lists of fresh-water fish, processed fish and seafoods that they plan to import to Belarus. Also, bidders are supposed to possess refrigerating equipment, warehouses, special transport, and retail networks in Belarus.

President Alexander Lukashenko on August 1, 2007 signed ordinance #361 to abolish import quotas on fish and seafood and make the state the only importer of this produce. The president will approve the list of companies authorized to import and sell fish and seafood in Belarus “as economic entities implementing the sole right of the state to import fish and seafood.”

Belarus excluded sea fish from the list of products that may be imported exclusively by the state as of July 1, 2010.

Imports of fresh-water fish and seafood are still on the list.

Belarus awarded 39 companies the right to import and process freshwater fish and seafood in 2012, whereas in 2011, there were 25 importers.