# Belarus bans imports of certain goods from Latvia, citing Riga's unfriendly rhetoric

- URL: https://syn.by/en/politics/international-relations/belarus-bans-imports-of-certain-goods-from-latvia-citing-rigas-unfriendly-rhetoric/
- Published: 2026-10-20T11:30:07+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-22T18:45:42+00:00
- Section: International Relations
- Language: en
- RU edition: https://syn.by/ru/politika/mezhdunarodnye-otnosheniya/byelarus-zapryetila-vvoz-otdyelnykh-tovarov-iz-latvii-obyasniv-eto-nyedruzhyestvyennoy-ritorikoy-rigi.md
- BE edition: https://syn.by/palityka/mizhnarodnyya-adnosiny/bielarus-zabaranila-uvoz-asobnych-tavarau-z-latvii-patlumachyushy-heta-niedruzhaliubnaj-rytorykaj-ryhi.md

> Latvian canned fish and industrial goods are covered by the ban. The full list of goods has not yet been published.

![Alexander Lukashenka and Andris Kulbergs — Belarus bans imports of certain goods from Latvia, citing Riga's unfriendly rhetoric](https://syn.by/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/illustration-463-1024x585.webp)

The Council of Ministers of Belarus has banned imports of certain goods from Latvia. The decision became known on 19 October. Belarusian media describe it as retaliatory economic measures by the government.

The decision is linked to the fact that Latvia, in the Belarusian side's assessment, maintains unconstructive approaches and unfriendly rhetoric toward Minsk. This is the position of the Belarusian government, which both imposes the restriction and itself assesses Riga's conduct. The available materials contain no Latvian reaction.

According to reports in Telegram channels, the measure covers a broad range of goods of Latvian origin. It includes canned fish and various kinds of industrial goods. There is a single criterion: the country of origin of the goods.

The full list of banned items has not been published. It is not yet known when it will be made public or which specific goods and types of canned fish it includes. Sellers who work with Latvian products, and buyers, are left to guess which items will disappear from the shelves.

Back in July 2026, the Latvian government approved a Foreign Ministry bill on a national ban on imports of certain industrial goods from Belarus and Russia. Non-state Belarusian outlets reported this, citing the Latvian outlet Baltijas Balss. The materials do not say whether that bill remains in force or whether the Belarusian ban is connected to it.

In an interview published in March 2016, Belarus was described as an important trading partner in Latvia's foreign trade. Today both capitals are talking about restrictions on imports.