Belarus has lowered its crude oil export duty from $271 to $267 per metric ton from January 1, the country's Council of Ministers said in a decree on Tuesday.

"The oil export duty has been established at a level similar to that introduced in Russia on January 1," a spokesman for the Council of Ministers said.

Russia exported around 25 million tons of oil to Belarus last year, but only 5-6 million tons were for domestic consumption. The rest was re-exported, some after passing through one of the country's two oil refineries.

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin suggested on December 18 that Belarus could import the domestic volumes duty-free due to the "brotherly relations" between the two countries, leaving the remaining 15 million tons subject to export duties.

MINSK, January 5 (RIA Novosti)