In Latvian stores you can still see sweets with the image of Peter I, “Crown of the Russian Empire” tea, Russian vodka and caviar. Russian and Belarusian food products are still sold in small shops and in some retail chains. LSM.lv writes about this. Data from the Food and Veterinary Service show that imports of food products into Latvia from these countries are generally decreasing, but unevenly across all product groups. The Ministry of Agriculture hopes that the next step will be to limit the import of Russian fish products. Among Ukrainian-made cookies and sweets, Latvian television found Russian products on the shelves of Mego and Beta stores, as well as in small shops in residential areas of Rezekne. The owner of the Rudzupuķe store, Evgeniya Tsvetkova, says that the share of goods produced in Ukraine is gradually increasing, which will ultimately make it possible to abandon Russian products. The Mego retail chain said it began to review its assortment immediately after Russia started the war in Ukraine. “Contracts with suppliers from both countries have been terminated, and the purchasing team is actively working to find replacements for the remaining goods from these countries,” says network representative Alexander Afanasyev. Statistics for the first half of this year show that overall food imports from Russia and Belarus are declining. True, there are exceptions – less alcoholic and other drinks were imported this year than last year, but more than in 2022.
