By failing to assess the consequences and publishing all companies that exported products to Russia in 2022, even though the majority of them had ceased this activity, these companies have been placed in an unenviable position; they are being forced to explain themselves to employees, partners, and export clients, thereby jeopardising good cooperation in the future.

This is according to Mārtiņš Tiknuss, Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Exporters Association The Red Jackets, in an interview. In his opinion, the Ministry of Economics' decision to publish the list of Latvian exporters to Russia for both 2022 and 2023 is considered a significant blow to their reputation. Especially when manufacturers from many other countries, including those in Europe and the USA, are also sending their goods to this country, while lists of importers from Russia are not being published.

Entrepreneurs angered by irresponsible state actions

How do you evaluate the Ministry of Economics' decision to publish the list of Latvian exporters that have sold their goods in Russia?

Undeniably, the public has a right to know which companies continue to cooperate with the aggressor state Russia; however, the list of companies published by the Central Statistical Bureau on 16 August 2023 and communicated to the media by the Ministry of Economics is false and insulting to many Latvian companies. Specifically, this list included information about those that exported goods to Russia in 2022, even though after the invasion of Ukraine that began on 24 February, they ceased their deliveries to that country. Yes, there is data on companies that exported to Russia in the first 6 months of 2023. However, the mentioned list does not show which companies have stopped and which still continue exporting to the aforementioned countries. It should be noted that, compared to 2022, 556 entrepreneurs, or 67%, stopped exporting to Russia in 2023, and by analysing the data by year, this can be observed.

At the same time, the communication from the Ministry of Economics was biased and led people to think that all companies included in the list are active exporters even today. This casts a shadow of doubt on all companies that have left the Russian and Belarusian markets and have not made deliveries to these territories since 24 February 2022. That is exactly why the form and manner in which the relevant information was presented should be considered malicious, causing moral harm (reputational damage) to those companies that had already ceased exporting their products to this country last year. Such false information forced companies to explain the situation to their employees, partners, and export clients, thereby jeopardising good cooperation going forward. Statements of this kind cannot be made flippantly, based on an inappropriate methodology. This is exactly why the association officially expressed its dissatisfaction regarding the incident to the Ministry of Economics and demanded a public clarification and a retraction of their statements to ensure that the reputation of Latvia's largest companies, which have acted responsibly to cease their operations in Russia and Belarus, is not undermined.