Updating Stock Market Laws is on the agenda in Belarus.
Belarus has proposed a draft amendment to its law on commodity exchanges, aiming to establish a national system of exchange indices and replace foreign price indicators. The main innovation in the draft is the creation of this national system, which will allow exchanges to independently calculate objective price benchmarks for strategically important commodities.
The public discussion for the proposed amendment will take place from August 12 to 22, 2025, on the Legal Forum of Belarus. The Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade has put forward this draft, with the objective of fostering healthy competition and protecting the rights of all market participants.
However, as of August 2025, no authoritative or recent information is available about the draft amendment's objectives, innovations, or public consultation procedures. The search results mostly address other regulatory and trade compliance topics unrelated to Belarus' commodity exchange law draft amendment. If this information is urgently needed, consulting official Belarusian government publications, legal databases, or trade regulation announcements directly would be recommended.
The draft amendment also includes the establishment of fundamental principles for exchange activities. It is worth noting that the draft does not specify any changes to the definition of "exchange price index." Additionally, it does not provide details about how the new national system of exchange indices will function in the context of ongoing sanctions against Belarus, nor does it mention any specific details about loans or banking products.
One of the key aspects of the draft is the introduction of a definition of the term "exchange price index." The new mechanism will allow exchanges to independently calculate these objective price benchmarks, which will serve as the basis for long-term contracts. However, the draft does not discuss how these objective price benchmarks will be used outside of long-term contracts.
Moreover, the draft amendment does not detail how the new national system of exchange indices will interact with international agreements. Exchanges will participate in the implementation of international agreements to develop a unified exchange area with partners in the Union State, EAEU, SCO, and BRICS.
The draft has become particularly relevant due to the introduction of sanctions against Belarus. Many international news agencies have stopped providing data on domestic goods as a result of these sanctions. The proposed amendment aims to help the Belarusian market navigate these challenges by developing a self-sustaining system for commodity pricing.
In summary, while details about the proposed draft amendment to Belarus' law on commodity exchanges are limited, it is clear that the draft aims to create a national system of exchange indices and foster a competitive market environment. The public discussion is an opportunity for stakeholders to gain a deeper understanding of the draft's implications and provide feedback.
The draft amendment in Belarus' law on commodity exchanges, set to be discussed from August 12 to 22, 2025, includes the establishment of a national system of exchange indices and defines the term "exchange price index". This system aims to provide objective price benchmarks for strategically important commodities, thus fostering competition and protecting market participants' rights. However, details about how this new system will function in the context of ongoing sanctions against Belarus, or how these objective price benchmarks will be utilized outside of long-term contracts, are not specified in the draft.
