Import ban imposed on certain industrial goods from Russia and Belarus

RIGA - On Thursday, during an extraordinary session, the Saeima adopted the amendments to the law prepared by the Foreign Ministry that would impose a national import ban on certain industrial goods originating in Russia and Belarus.

Sixty-six members of the parliament voted in favor of the bill; eight current and former Stability lawmakers voted against it, while eight Latvia First lawmakers did not participate in the vote.

Amendments were made to the Law on Support for Ukrainian Civilians to further reduce Latvia’s economic ties with Russia and Belarus countries.

To pass the law, the presidium of the Saeima convened another extraordinary session on Thursday; however, the members of parliament were unable to immediately adopt the bill in its second and final reading because Svetlana Culkova, the former leader of Stability parliamentary faction, objected to it. Consequently, a 15-minute deadline was set for submitting proposals on the bill, and a third extraordinary session of the Saeima was convened on Thursday to pass the law.

The amendments were drafted at the request of the Cabinet of Ministers. They aim to ban the import of books, newspapers, video games, sporting goods, toys, clothing, and footwear originating from Russia or Belarus. The exact list of prohibited goods will be specified in Cabinet of Ministers regulations, using the European Union (EU) Combined Nomenclature codes.

The ban will apply both to direct imports of these goods from Russia and Belarus and to imports of goods originating in these countries from other third countries. However, transit through Latvian territory to other EU member states will not be restricted.

The Foreign Ministry noted that the aim of these changes is to reduce the aggressor states’ ability to generate revenue from exports and to strengthen Latvia’s national security. At the same time, this is intended to supplement the sanctions and trade restrictions already imposed by the EU against Russia and Belarus.

Latvia’s imports from Russia and Belarus have decreased by 91 percent since 2022. While the value of imports exceeded EUR 2.1 billion in 2022, by 2025 it had fallen to EUR 193 million, or 0.8 percent of Latvia’s total imports of goods.

The planned ban would affect a relatively small portion of imports. Books, newspapers, video games, sporting goods, toys, clothing, and footwear accounted for approximately EUR 12.5 million in 2025, or 6.5 percent of imports from Russia and Belarus, which is about 0.05 percent of Latvia’s total imports.

According to the government’s assessment, the ban would most severely affect wholesale companies, which would have to seek new suppliers and revise their procurement contracts. Price increases and longer delivery times are also possible in certain sectors; however, the government believes that the goods in question can be replaced with products from other countries.

At the same time, the explanatory memorandum notes that a national import ban cannot completely prevent these goods from entering the Latvian market. If goods originating in Russia or Belarus have already been released for free circulation in another EU member state, they may continue to enter Latvia in accordance with the principles of the EU single market. Therefore, the government emphasizes that the proposed regulation also serves as a symbolic policy measure, encouraging a reduction in the consumption of goods from aggressor states.

The amendments to the law stipulate that the impact of the ban on public safety and the national economy will be assessed annually. The first assessment must be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers by March 1, 2027, in order to decide on the continued application of the regulation.