Latvia’s plan to halt Russian grain transit runs into legal and commercial obstacles

Latvia’s efforts to stop Russian and Belarusian grain shipments through its ports are facing legal and commercial obstacles, despite a new increase in railway infrastructure charges.

From 13 October, infrastructure charges for Russian grain shipments increased by an average of 25%, far below the threefold rate sought by the government. Railway infrastructure pricing company LatRailNet said the charges must reflect the costs of providing access and cannot be raised arbitrarily without risking legal challenges under European regulations.

Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs told Estonian public broadcaster ERR that much of the grain arriving in Latvia had already been purchased by international trading companies, including businesses from the United States, Switzerland and Japan. Restricting their shipments could trigger litigation and damage commercial relations, he warned.

Meanwhile, transit volumes continue to rise. According to figures reported by Latvian public broadcaster LSM, approximately 742,000 tonnes of Russian grain passed through Latvia in the first nine months of 2026, exceeding the 652,000 tonnes recorded for the whole of 2025. Belarusian grain transit has also increased sharply.

Kulbergs has proposed transferring LatRailNet’s functions to the national public utilities regulator, but no such restructuring has been approved. The dispute highlights the limits of using infrastructure pricing to restrict trade that remains legally permitted under existing national and EU rules.