The ban will come into effect on September 1 and will apply to goods from Russia and Belarus imported via third countries
Latvian-Belarusian border (Photo: EPA / VALDA KALNINA)
The Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia has approved a ban on the import of a range of industrial goods from Russia and Belarus. The restrictions will come into force on September 1. reported The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia on its official website.
The ban will also apply to goods of Russian and Belarusian origin imported into Latvia via third countries.
The restrictions will apply to printed books, newspapers, and other printed materials, clothing, finished textile products, footwear, and headwear, as well as toys, games, and sports equipment.
The Latvian Foreign Ministry stated that the ban is intended to protect the country’s security interests, reduce export revenues for Russia and Belarus, and limit the influx of Russian propaganda materials into Latvia.
The agency noted that these goods are not unique and that alternatives are available on other markets.
Latvia is systematically reducing economic ties with Russia and Belarus. Latvia states that will continue to curtail Russia’s ability to finance the war and will maintain maximum pressure on the Russian war economy.
According to the Latvian Foreign Ministry, the value of imports from Russia and Belarus has decreased by 91% since 2022—from €2.129 billion in 2022 to €193 million in 2025.
The new restrictions complement EU sanctions and Latvia’s existing national bans on the import of energy resources, as well as agricultural, fish, and food products, from Russia and Belarus.
The effectiveness of the new measures will be reviewed annually.
- On July 17, the Prime Minister of Latvia criticized EU countries that are blocking sanctions against Russia and thereby “making money from the war.”
- In June, Latvian intelligence stated, that Russia may be preparing provocations against the Baltic states or Poland.
This is a machine translation of the original article in Ukrainian. It may contain errors.