On Wednesday, the Saeima deputies approved amendments to the law on agriculture and rural development prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture, which extend the ban on the import of agricultural products and feed from Russia and Belarus until July 1, 2027.
The import of certain types of agricultural products from Russia and Belarus has been banned since March 8, 2024. The ban also applies to the import of products of Russian and Belarusian origin from third countries. The restriction does not affect transit and supplies to other European Union (EU) states.
At the same time, the EU has significantly increased import duties on agricultural and food products of Russian and Belarusian origin, as well as on certain types of mineral fertilizers in 2024 and 2025, which further reduced the influx of these goods into the European market.
Assessing the results of the ban, the Ministry of Agriculture notes that the import of agricultural goods from Russia and Belarus has significantly decreased. Imports from Russia decreased by 30% in the first 11 months of 2024, and by another 85% in the first 11 months of 2025. Imports from Belarus decreased by 12% and 55%, respectively. A similar trend is also observed in the EU as a whole.
The Ministry emphasizes that the national ban on imports, along with the increased EU duties, is in effect and significantly reduces the presence of products from aggressor countries in the market.
At the same time, the restrictions have not negatively impacted the availability of food in Latvia, and the country is capable of fully ensuring its supply of basic agricultural products.
The Ministry highlights that for many product groups, the level of self-sufficiency significantly exceeds 100%. In 2024, Latvia's self-sufficiency level for grain products was 310%, for beef and beef products - 261%, for eggs - 180%, and for milk and dairy products - 139%.
Leave a comment