Grain transit through Latvia from Russia and Belarus surges in September

Between September 1 and 24, 253,623 tonnes of grain were transited through Latvia from Russia — nearly double the volume recorded for the entire month of September last year. An even steeper rise was seen in transit from Belarus: 40,101 tonnes in the first 24 days of this September, compared with zero such shipments in September of last year.

From the start of this year through September 24, a total of 593,663 tonnes of grain transited through Latvia from Russia, down 8.9% from the full-year total for 2025. Transit from Belarus, meanwhile, reached 116,847 tonnes this year — many times more than the total for all of last year. August also saw a substantial year-on-year increase in transit volumes from both countries.

Origin checks

Latvia's State Revenue Service (VID) explains that EU law bans importing and transiting goods originating from Ukrainian territories not controlled by the Ukrainian government — Crimea and the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions, all illegally annexed by Russia. To verify compliance, customs officials carry out spot checks on documents submitted by traders, including the exact place of origin, grain variety, delivery route and transport records. VID says these checks have so far found no evidence that grain originated in the occupied territories.

Sanctions enforcement

VID notes that responsibility for sanctions compliance falls not only on customs but on every company involved in the transit chain. Over the first eight months of this year, 842 sanctions violations were prevented, including 467 cases where a requested customs procedure was denied. Blocked outbound shipments included mechanisms, electrical equipment, vehicles and vehicle parts, along with other goods, while shipments of timber, metal products and technical equipment from Russia and Belarus were denied entry into the EU. Common violations involve misclassified goods, false declarations of origin or destination, and forged documents, with continued attempts to smuggle sanctioned goods concealed among non-sanctioned cargo.