What happened
The Latvian parliament, known as the Saeima, has approved amendments to the Agriculture and Rural Development Law, expanding a ban on importing Russian and Belarusian products.
Prior to this decision, a national import ban had been in place since March 8, 2024, but it only applied to agricultural and animal feed products. The new ban covers a wide range of food products, including sweets, sauces, ready-made soups, chocolate, and various plant seeds.
The expanded ban also prohibits the import of medicinal herbs, spices, oils, flour products, sugar beet molasses, and beet pulp from Russia and Belarus. Additionally, it restricts the import of processed vegetable products, such as canned vegetables and apple puree.
The ban further states that food products from Russia and Belarus cannot be imported into Latvia through other third countries. Only nine out of 100 deputies voted against the ban, while four did not vote.
