To ensure equal competitive opportunities for Latvian carriers in comparison with foreign businesses when transporting goods of strategic importance, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Latvian Parliament (Saeima) on Thursday, October 31, conceptually supported amendments to the Law on the Circulation of Goods of Strategic Importance.

Currently, local carriers transporting strategic goods in transit, including goods supporting Ukraine and military cargo, face additional restrictions, as existing regulations require local carriers to obtain both a license and a permit for such cargo, while foreign carriers only need a permit. Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified this during the committee meeting.

The amendments propose that Latvian-registered carriers transporting goods of strategic importance in transit will only need a permit issued by the country from which the cargo is exported or to which it is imported. This will ensure equal control and competitive conditions for Latvian and foreign carriers. Additionally, it is planned to eliminate the import license requirement for dual-use items.

The amendments also stipulate that, moving forward, the Ministry of Defense will issue business licenses for military manufacturers for a limited period of nine years. Furthermore, re-registration of already issued licenses is planned every three years. The Ministry of Defense will have the right to suspend an existing license for up to six months if additional inspections are needed, according to the explanatory note for the bill. Currently, such licenses are issued without a time limit.

The changes also aim to assign the issuance and inspection of civilian firearm transfer permits within the European Union exclusively to the State Police, to avoid duplicating the functions of multiple institutions.

Moreover, to improve the traceability of firearm accessories, such as silencers or scopes, in the domestic circulation, it is proposed that firearm dealers be required to register each buyer of a firearm accessory.

For these amendments to take effect, they must be supported by the Saeima in three readings.

Information from the Latvian Parliament (Saeima).