Latvia has enacted a nationwide prohibition on importing a broad array of Russian and Belarusian consumer products including books, video games, apparel, toys, and sports equipment.
Latvia’s legislature ratified amendments to existing laws, imposing restrictions on the importation of certain Russian and Belarusian consumer goods that aren’t already encompassed by EU sanctions. This move aims to further sever economic relations with Moscow and curb the dissemination of Kremlin propaganda.
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“To guarantee the security of Latvian citizens… and to offer broader support to Ukrainian society, the import of specific industrial goods into the Republic of Latvia from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus is forbidden,” state the revisions to Latvia’s law (link in Latvian language) concerning Support for the Civilian Population of Ukraine.
The amended legislation bans imports of products originating in Russia and Belarus that are not already affected by EU sanctions, tariffs, or other regulatory measures—marking what seems to be among the first EU-wide national bans on an extensive range of consumer goods from these two countries beyond existing sanction frameworks. The limitations also extend to goods that enter Latvia through third countries if their origin is Russian or Belarusian.
This prohibition, which was passed concurrently with the EU’s approval of its latest sanctions package, targets items identified by legislators as potentially useful for spreading propaganda and misinformation. This includes books, newspapers, video games, as well as sports goods, toys, apparel, and footwear.
«These modifications represent the newest instrument in a systematic approach to diminish economic connections with Russia and Belarus, while steadfastly supporting Ukraine’s fight for freedom and sovereignty,” remarked Raimonds Bergmanis, Chair of the Defense, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee overseeing this bill’s progress in the Latvian Parliament.
In 2025, imports of the targeted goods from Russia and Belarus reached €12.5 million, which constitutes 6.5% of Latvia’s remaining imports from these countries and just 0.05% of Latvia’s overall import volume.
Eliminating the final links
The initiative was drafted by Latvia’s Foreign Ministry and expedited through parliament as a component of efforts to fully sever the remaining trade relationships with Russia.
«Latvia has already drastically curtailed its economic ties with Russia, but the objective remains a total policy rejection regarding the goods from the aggressor state,” noted Minister of Economy Viktors Valainis at the end of May after the ministers’ meeting focused on further limiting commerce with Russia. During that session, the Foreign Ministry was tasked to develop the legislation that parliament ratified this week.
The definitive list of banned products will be finalized by the Cabinet of Ministers. The law will come into effect the day following its promulgation, with these import restrictions scheduled to persist until 1 July 2027.
Foreign Minister Baiba Braže has repeatedly emphasized that Latvia intends to terminate all residual economic dependencies on Russia by the end of 2026 and has urged other EU member states to implement comparable actions.