Latvia emerges as top-five importer of Russian grain

MOSCOW: Latvia, a member of the European Union and NATO, has emerged as one of the top five importers of Russian grain this marketing season despite strained political ties, as Moscow redirects exports from the Azov-Black Sea basin to Baltic ports.

Latvia imported 431,700 metric tons of Russian grain between July and October, consultancy ProZerno said. The Latvian foreign ministry said in a statement that Russian grain imports have been banned in Latvia since 2024 and that while there is no transit ban in place yet, the government is working on that as either an EU or a national measure.