Latvia has become one of the top five countries for shipping Russian grain this season, despite political tensions between the two nations. According to consultancy ProZerno, 431,700 tonnes of Russian grain were exported through Latvia between July and October. The Latvian foreign ministry confirmed that Russian grain imports have been banned in the country since 2024, but there is no transit ban yet, though the government is working on implementing one.
Iran remained the largest buyer of Russian grain during this period, importing 1.716 million tonnes, driven by strong purchases of barley and corn. Russia has been rerouting its grain exports after shipments through the Azov-Black Sea basin stalled in mid-August. Baltic ports, particularly in Latvia, have become the primary outlet for wheat exports, accounting for 65 percent of Russian grain exports in September.
Estonia has already banned the transit of Russian grain, and the Baltic states have proposed an EU-wide ban on Russian grain exports through the bloc. Shipments via the Caspian Sea have also increased, with most cargoes heading to Iran. Other major buyers of Russian grain include Egypt, which imported 1.35 million tonnes, Azerbaijan with 545,000 tonnes, and Nigeria with 420,900 tonnes.