Latvia imported significantly more cereal products from Russia in the first quarter than last year

At the same time, in the first quarter of 2024, the value of cereals imported from Russia in Latvia reached 27.007 million euros, which is 6.2% less than in the first quarter of 2023.

Among them, corn was imported from Russia in the first quarter in the amount of 136,539 tons, rye – in the amount of 8,530 tons, wheat and a mixture of wheat and rye – in the amount of 8,744 tons, triticale – in the amount of 111 tons, and barley – in the amount of 4,400 tons.

Compared to the first quarter of 2023, the import of corn increased by 26.5%, rye – by 70.6%, while the import of triticale decreased by 60.5%. Wheat and a mixture of wheat and rye, as well as barley, were not imported in the first quarter of 2023.

Representatives of the SRS explained that goods that have passed the import procedure, i.e. released into free circulation, acquire the status of European Union (EU) goods and are in free circulation throughout the territory of the EU. They can be consumed in Latvia or transported to another EU member state without customs procedures, including transit.

At the same time, the SRS Customs Administration does not have information on grains actually consumed in Latvia, as well as sent to other EU member states after being put into free circulation.

The collected data also show that 596,807 tons of grain products were transported from Russia through Latvia in transit in the first quarter, which is 78.9% more than in the first quarter of 2023, when 333,623 tons of grain were transported in transit through Latvia.

Among them, 311,541 tons were wheat and a mixture of wheat and rye, 151,707 tons were corn, 124,889 tons were barley, 7,911 tons were rye, 692 tons were triticale, 44 tons were oats, and 22 tons were rice.

Compared to the first quarter of 2023, the transit of wheat and the mixture of wheat and rye increased by 31.3%, corn – by 60%, rye – by 359 times. Triticale was transported in transit in the first quarter by 36% less than in the first quarter of 2023, while rice – six times less.

Barley was not transited through Latvia in the first quarter of 2023, but the volume of oat transit in the first quarter of 2024 decreased by 5.5 times compared to the first quarter of 2023.