Made in Belarus / Made in the US: Competing for a Technological Image

By the end of 2024, declared the Year of Quality in Belarus, the winners of a competition for the right to label products with a state quality mark will be announced. Products awarded this mark are expected to gain a stronger foothold in the market of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. In 2025, according to Lukashenka, quality issues will receive priority attention.

The quality mark is valid for two years, and its holders will enjoy various benefits and incentives: media advertising, promotion on government websites, and “special” product placement. “This will make the products recognizable and in demand in the Russian market as well as ours,” emphasized Belarusian Deputy Minister of Industry Andrei Kuzniatsou. He also noted, somewhat redundantly, that “our main market is Russia. We see growth in supply volumes.” However, he reminded, exploring new markets remains necessary.

According to the State Standard of Belarus, as of early October, 660 products and 217 enterprises (some of them state monopolies) were competing for the quality mark. The products are assessed across five criteria: safety, innovativeness, technological sophistication, eco-friendliness, and aesthetics. The five edges of the pentagon (a heraldic symbol of the USSR) in the quality mark represent these criteria, partially replacing earlier Soviet standards, such as “affordability” and “reliability.”

The state quality mark was officially approved in Belarus in January 2024 (Russia introduced a similar mark in 2014). A contest was previously held to design the logo, resulting in over 20 proposals, five of which were shortlisted for final consideration. The winning design closely resembles its Soviet predecessor: a red pentagon featuring an inverted “K” and the inscription “Belarus.” This logo seems intended to evoke nostalgic associations with the high-quality goods of the Soviet era among local and foreign consumers.

The labeling also reflects an old interpretation of “market processes”: responsibility for product quality ultimately lies not with the producer, and the final judge is not the consumer. The state occupies two conflicting roles: on one hand, guaranteeing specific consumer qualities, and on the other, evaluating them based on selected criteria.

Products made in Belarus may also receive not only the quality mark but the status of Union State goods, alongside those from Russia. Officials from both countries must:

• Develop criteria for classifying products under this category,
• Identify the sectors where it will apply,
• Establish procedures for its recognition and assignment,
• Resolve several organizational and protocol issues.

Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Galouchanka stressed that granting Union State status to goods is crucial for ensuring a national treatment regime for all products manufactured within the Union State.

Meanwhile, Belarusian Ambassador to Russia Dmitry Krutoy highlighted that resolving the issue of Union State product status will allow producers from both countries to compete with “unfair” players in the common market. He also pointed to the importance of eligibility for participation in subsidy programs.

Against the backdrop of economic integration, the redistribution of the Belarusian-Russian market continues, encompassing quotas, benefits, preferences, and subsidies.