Industry of Belarus
[3] United Nations Economic Commission for Europe described Belarus as having "a well-developed industrial sector and highly skilled workforce".
[9] The Belarusian state jealously guards its capital; the entry of allies such as Russia into the protected realm has proved difficult if not impossible, because the government in Minsk charges exorbitant prices for controlling stakes.
In 2019, 1131 companies were active in the food industry, employing 138.2 thousand workers and generating Br 1182.2 million of net profit (after taxes).
[19] Four major breweries in Minsk (Alivaria), Babruysk, Lida and Rečyca were bought by multinational corporations in the 2000s and early 2010s.
[21] State-owned distilleries in Brest, Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, Klimavichy are other major market players producing more than 1 million dal of vodka and similar beverages.
[21] Several private distilleries are active in the sectors, the biggest is Akvadiv (Maladziečna district) co-owned by Vladimir Peftiev and Minsk Kristall.
[23] In August 2023, Belarusian PM Roman Golovchenko introduced Agriculture Minister Sergei Bartosh, highlighting strategic priorities like crop optimization and dairy modernization, emphasizing the significance of the sector.
[29] The majority of big companies in the sector are operated by the government via Belneftekhim state enterprise subordinated to the Council of Ministers.
The biggest company is Belaruskali (100% state-owned[32]) which is one of the largest potash producers in the world,[1] its global market share is estimated at 16%.
[22] Other major factories are: In 2012, Alexander Lukashenko transferred defunct factory of protein-vitamin concentrates used in animal husbandry (Russian: Завод белково-витаминных концентратов) in Novopolotsk to Interservis company owned by his alleged associate Mikalai Varabei to construct third oil refinery.
[40] As of June 2021, modernization of Naftan hasn't been completed, total amount of investments was estimated at US$1.6 billion.
A number of factories producing automotive units are situated in Belarus (Baranavichy, Barysaw, Grodno, Minsk and other cities).
Controlling stake of Amkodor construction and forestry machinery manufacturer (former "Udarnik" factory in Minsk) is owned by Aliaksandr Shakutsin who was recognized as a person "who benefited most from the privatisation during Lukashenko's tenure as President" by the Council of the European Union.
[53] Belarus has two assemblers of cars from SKD kits: BelGee (joint venture of Belarusian state-owned BelAZ and Chinese Geely) and Unison (private company using former Ford Union workshops).
Number of cars produced:[52] Belarus has no specialised manufacturer of light commercial vehicles (LCVs), but MAZ tried to enter the market twice.
In the late 2010s, a joint venture with Chinese Weichai Power was established to assemble engines for MAZ in Belarus.
Swiss manufacturer Stadler Rail established assembly factory in Fanipal near Minsk to produce passenger trains.
Lida depot of Belarusian Railway made a major overhaul of ChME3 diesel electric locomotive giving it new name TME1.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Belarus was the twentieth largest exporter of major arms in a 5-year period of 2014–2018; its main clients were Vietnam, Sudan and Myanmar.
[10] Byelorussian Steel Works (BMZ) in Zhlobin (built in the 1980s by Austrian Voestalpine company) is the biggest factory in the sector in Belarus.
1757 companies were active in metallurgy and manufacturing of metal products (except transportation and other machinery) in 2019, they employed 57.7 thousand workers and produced Br 7888.9 million (c. US$3.7 billion) of industrial output.
Belarusian metallurgy is export-oriented, the country was among top 10 in the world by export orientation of steel industry.
[64] As of 2019, Belarus had two factories that produce accumulator batteries (1AK joint venture with Exide Technologies in Pinsk and Amkodor-Radian near Minsk).
[70] Lack of sales markets analysis and low technical level of some of the new equipment were named the main reasons of failed modernization in the sector.
In the 2010s, the government took a US$654 million loan from China to expand Svietlahorsk CKK by constructing a bleached pulp facility.
[80] Ecologists claimed that the facility was built near the city despite a very dirty technology (using sulfur and chlorine) was chosen.
[79] In June 2021, Svietlahorsk CKK made an additional issue of shares which is considered to be an indirect state support.
State-owned Dobruš paper mill "Hero of Labour" was modernized in the 2010s by constructing new cardboard facility with Chinese loan.
[87] In 2012 and 2013, new production facilities built with Chinese financial and technical support were launched, but they were later found excessive due to changed market.
[102] He also accused several workers of state factories of gathering information about the ways used to circumvent the sanctions, and he threatened them with imprisonment.
