Latvia ranks among top five routes for Russian grain shipments

Latvia has become one of the five leading countries used to move Russian grain this marketing season, as Moscow shifts exports away from the Azov-Black Sea basin towards Baltic ports, gCaptain reported, carrying a Reuters dispatch. Consultancy ProZerno put Russian grain shipments through Latvia at 431,700 metric tonnes between July and October, despite strained political relations between Russia and the EU and NATO member.

The Latvian foreign ministry said the country had prohibited imports of Russian grain since 2024, but that the restriction did not extend to transit. The government is working towards a transit ban, either through an EU-wide measure or national action. That distinction leaves Latvia available as a shipping route even though Russian grain cannot be imported into its domestic market.

The change in export routes follows a broad standstill in shipments through the Azov-Black Sea basin from mid-August, according to the report. The basin has traditionally been Russia’s principal grain export corridor. Deep-water Baltic ports have since become the leading outlet, particularly for wheat. Railway carrier and grain analyst Rusagrotrans estimated that the Baltic route handled 65% of Russian grain exports in September, with cargoes moving through Russian Baltic ports as well as ports in the Baltic states, principally Latvia.

Regional policy is also shifting. Estonia has already barred Russian grain from transiting its territory, while the Baltic states proposed an EU prohibition earlier in October on Russian grain exports passing through the bloc. Alongside the increased use of Baltic ports, shipments across the Caspian Sea have risen sharply, with Iran taking most of those cargoes.

Iran was the largest buyer of Russian grain over July-October, importing 1.716 million tonnes, supported by substantial barley and maize purchases. ProZerno’s figures put Egypt’s imports at 1.35 million tonnes; the country was previously Russia’s largest wheat customer and an important destination for Black Sea cargoes. Azerbaijan took 545,000 tonnes and Nigeria 420,900 tonnes, also placing them among the season’s five largest buyers.