In Latvia – calls for a total ban on the transit of grain from Russia and Belarus

The most effective way to ensure Latvia’s security and protect the interests of the agricultural sector would be a complete ban on the import and transit through Latvia of grain originating in Russia and Belarus, said Rolandas Feldmanis, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Agricultural Cooperatives Association.

In his view, the decision taken by the Saeima on Thursday to tighten controls on grain consignments from third countries at the border as a matter of urgency is a step in the right direction, but it is not enough on its own.

“The reality of the situation shows that inspections and attempts to determine the true origin of these consignments will quickly turn into a game of cat and mouse. The simplest, safest and most effective solution is to ban these shipments outright”, said R. Feldmanis.

According to him, it is particularly difficult to determine the true origin of a consignment in cases where grains of different origins are deliberately mixed into a single consignment.

According to R. Feldmanis, it is also essential to give serious consideration to the liability of the cargo owner and to fines for non-compliant or incorrectly declared cargo. In his view, once a non-compliant consignment has been identified, it should be immediately detained and confiscated, and those responsible must face real economic and legal consequences. 

„If the cargo owner faces no real financial losses or criminal liability, there is a significant risk that the infrastructure will be deliberately flooded with dubious cargo. Such a scenario could paralyse the operations of both the control authorities and the grain terminals, and physically halt Latvia’s own transit and export capacity,“ – emphasised R. Feldmanis.