Baltic: Latvian industry reps refute Russian report on beer exports

Latvia and Lithuania were among the largest exporters of beer to Russia in 2023, LRT reported, citing Russian news agency RIA Novosti. According to the report, the value of Lithuania’s beer exports to Russia amounted to USD 36.5mn in 2023, which was up by 1.9 times from 2022, accounting for just over 15% of Russia’s total beer imports. Latvia’s beer exports to Russia totalled USD 34.4mn. The biggest beer exporter to Russia was Germany. Meanwhile, Peteris Linins, board chairman of the Latvian Union of Beer Producers (LADS), insisted that no Latvian brewery exported beer to Russia, saying that the RIA Novosti report was false, LSM reports. Inara Sure, chairwoman of the Latvian Federation of Food Companies (LPUF), also said that the Russian report was misinformation.