The ban applies not only to goods directly imported from Russia or Belarus, but also to products originating from these countries brought into Latvia via third countries, reports Latvian media.
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The list of prohibited goods includes printed books, newspapers, and other printed materials, as well as clothing and other finished textile products, footwear, and headwear. Restrictions also apply to toys, games, and sports equipment.
The Latvian government states that these measures aim to protect the country’s security interests, reduce Russia’s and Belarus’s ability to earn income from exports, and limit the entry of Russian propaganda materials into the Latvian market.
Important exception
The new ban does not mean that goods of Russian or Belarusian origin can no longer reach Latvia at all.
The new ban does not mean that goods of Russian or Belarusian origin can no longer reach Latvia at all.
As reported by “Delfi.lv,” national restrictions do not apply to goods that have already been released for free circulation in another European Union country. This means that, for example, a book made in Russia, legally entering the Lithuanian market, can under certain circumstances also reach Latvia.
Transit of such goods through Latvia to other European Union countries is also allowed.
Thus, the ban primarily aims to stop new imports of prohibited goods into Latvia, but due to the rules of the common EU market, it is not possible to completely prevent goods of Russian or Belarusian origin from entering the country’s market.
The ban – part of a broader policy
The Latvian parliament adopted amendments to the law expanding trade restrictions with Russia and Belarus at the end of July. The government approved specific rules on August 25 and set that the new import restrictions will take effect on September 1.
The new ban supplements previously applied Latvian national and European Union trade restrictions on Russia and Belarus.
According to the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, since 2022 the value of imports from these countries has decreased by 91% – from 2.129 billion euros in 2022 to 193 million euros in 2025.
In 2025, newly restricted goods – books, newspapers, video games, sports goods, toys, clothing, and footwear – were imported from Russia and Belarus to Latvia for about 12.5 million euros. This accounted for about 6.5% of the remaining imports from these two countries and only 0.05% of all Latvian imports.
Latvian authorities emphasize that there are sufficient alternatives to the prohibited goods in other markets. The effectiveness of the new regulation will be evaluated annually.
The Latvian parliament has indicated that the new import restrictions will be in effect until July 1, 2027.
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