Latvia proposes to ban imports of Russian grain to EU countries

Amid criticism, Latvia has raised the issue of banning grain imports from Russia to the EU and allowing its transportation only in transit for export to third countries. This is reported by Delfi.

According to the Border Control Department of the Food and Veterinary Service, 382,800 tons of grain from Russia crossed the Latvian border into the EU in 11 months of 2023. Currently, imports of Russian agricultural products are not restricted by either EU or Latvian legislation. It is not known exactly how much of this grain remains in Latvia.

In this regard, Lithuanian Minister of Agriculture Kęstutis Navickas said that Russian grain was not entering Lithuania, and one of the Lithuanian agricultural associations called for tighter control at the Latvian-Lithuanian border to prevent grain from Russia from entering the Lithuanian market.

“It is a shocking situation that Latvia and possibly other neighboring countries are importing grain from the aggressor country. No one knows exactly where it comes from because of the lack of control,” said the head of the Lithuanian Grain Producers Association.

Latvian Minister of Agriculture Armands Krause initiated a discussion at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Committee on the ban on imports of Russian agricultural products to the EU. The position is shared by President Edgars Rinkēvičs.

Krause believes that the time has come for the EU to ban imports of Russian grain to its market, but to preserve the possibility of transit of Russian grain to third countries so as not to worsen global food security.

Since the beginning of the current marketing year, grain supplies from Russia to the EU have increased by 2.3 times.

Tags: Russia, grain, Latvia, restrictions