In the first quarter of 2024, Latvia reported a significant 39.8% increase in grain imports from Russia, reaching 158,325 tons, despite a slight 6.2% decrease in the overall value of these imports compared to the same period in 2023. The imports predominantly consisted of corn, rye, wheat, triticale, and barley, with corn and rye seeing the most substantial increases. Alongside this, Latvia also experienced a 78.9% surge in the transit of Russian grain through its territory, totaling 596.807 thousand tons. This growth in grain trade comes as Latvia continues to support EU sanctions against Russian grain and maintains its own temporary ban on Russian and Belarusian agricultural products and feed, which is in effect until mid-2025 but may be extended if deemed necessary.