EU court keeps Belarus potash via Lithuania shut

Belarusian potash fertilisers remain barred from transiting through Lithuania to Klaipėda port under EU sanctions, after the General Court dismissed a challenge from terminal operator Birių Krovinių Terminalas UAB (BKT). The judgment confirms that companies cannot use EU litigation to reopen the former Belarus‑via‑Lithuania export corridor.

BKT, a Klaipėda bulk cargo terminal specialising in rail transit of potash fertilisers from Belarus to third‑country markets, had asked the court to lift or soften key sanctions provisions so that shipments could resume. The company targeted Council Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 and Council Decision 2012/642/CFSP, which together prohibit the purchase, import or transfer of potash products from Belarus, and argued that “transfer” should not cover transit by rail through Lithuania.