Baltic Export, Baltic States – CIS, Employment, Foodstuff, Latvia, Markets and Companies

He emphasized that Latvian fish processing companies export 50% of their products to Russia, with a value of about EUR 100 million per year. Smits added that canned sprats are produced by about 20 companies in Latvia, and that the proportion of exports to Russia is quite significant. ''Some companies will be forced to halt production and lay-off workers while they look for new markets, while it is possible others will not be successful in resuming production,'' Smits added.

Smits also pointed out that sprats are Latvia's main fish product, which have been produced here for over 100 years. He said that fish producers are not hoping for direct financial assistance from the government, but said that they are hoping for some tax breaks so that they do not go bankrupt searching for new markets.

The head of the Union of Latvian Fish Processing Industry also said that he wants Latvian officials to request financial compensation from the EU.

As reported, Russia is to ban fish imports from the Baltic states of Latvia and Estonia, its food safety watchdog said last week, citing violations.

Officials from Russia's food safety regulator ''Rosselkhoznadzor'' met veterinary officials from the Baltic states last week and told them "imports of fish products from Latvia and Estonia to Russia will be halted shortly," the agency said in a statement on its website.

Russia said it would send statements of alleged violations it discovered to Latvia and Estonia's veterinarian services over the next week.

Russia has already introduced sweeping bans of meat and produce from the European Union in retaliation against its imposition of sanctions on Moscow over its actions in Ukraine.