“The import ban is aimed at protecting Latvia’s security interests and further reducing economic ties with Russia and Belarus, which continue to wage and support an aggressive war against Ukraine,” the ministry stated.
Latvia, a NATO and EU member state bordering both Russia and Belarus, has consistently taken a tough pro-Ukrainian stance since the invasion began in 2022. Officials in Riga claim that since the start of the war, the country has been subjected to constant “hybrid attacks” from Moscow — which include cyberattacks, airspace violations by drones, and disinformation campaigns — and is actively investing in strengthening security, believing it could be one of the next targets of the Kremlin.
Additionally, there is a significant Russian-speaking community in the country: according to official statistics, about a quarter of Latvia’s residents identify as ethnic Russians.
The ban, which came into effect on September 1, is the first such restriction on Russian consumer goods in Europe. It also applies to other categories of products, including clothing, toys, and sports equipment. According to the Latvian government, the aim of the measure is to “strengthen societal resilience and reduce vulnerabilities in the information space.”
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, total imports from Russia and Belarus have decreased by approximately 91% since the start of the war; however, books and printed materials still ranked among the largest categories of consumer imports from Russia. The ministry noted that they “remained one of the largest categories of consumer goods still being imported from Russia.”
Previously, Latvia had already canceled VAT tax benefits for publications in the Russian language within the country and began to reduce the volume of instruction in Russian in schools, explaining this as a necessity to counter Kremlin interference and better integrate Russian-speaking residents.
This move was taken amid rising tensions between Moscow and the Baltic states. In May, Russia announced its intention to file a lawsuit against Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia in the International Court of Justice, accusing them of violating the rights of the Russian-speaking population. The authorities of the three states reject these claims and, on the contrary, accuse Moscow of using the Russian-speaking minority, which significantly increased during decades of Soviet occupation, to escalate tensions in the region.