On 9 June 2026, the LIAA Trade Commissioners and Latvian diplomats’ contact exchange with Latvian businesses was held in Riga at the Radisson Blu Latvija hotel. Our association’s representative also took part. She met with staff from LIAA’s business support office and with LIAA Trade Commissioners from France, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland and Italy, as well as with the Latvian diplomat posted in Kazakhstan.

What the LIAA Trade Commissioner network is

LIAA Trade Commissioners are people who live and work in target countries and help Latvian companies enter local markets. The LIAA network currently covers offices in 19 countries, complemented by the Foreign Ministry’s diplomats in another 10. Together that means 29 countries where a Latvian entrepreneur has a specific person to call when a question about a market, a partner or an export deal comes up.

For the textile industry this network matters a lot. A large share of our sector’s turnover already comes from exports, and every open market door can mean a new buyer or a new supplier. But without a local person who knows the market and the language, entering a foreign country is hard and expensive. LIAA Trade Commissioners and diplomats provide that solution at no additional cost.

How the day was structured

The event had two parts. In the morning there was an informative seminar where LIAA and Foreign Ministry representatives presented the market opportunities and support instruments available in specific countries. After the coffee break came the individual consultations, where each company could sit down with a specific representative and discuss their situation. This second part was the most valuable, because it allowed concrete questions and concrete answers.

Meeting with the LIAA business support office

The conversation with the LIAA business support office covered export support programmes, EU funding opportunities and how companies can apply for market studies, exhibition cost compensation and partner search services. These are concrete tools that our members often do not use simply because they do not know about them or assume the paperwork will be too heavy.

One of the association’s jobs is to close this gap. We need to help members understand which LIAA programmes fit their situation and how to prepare an application that actually gets approved.

Six countries we talked to

France

France interests us as a large home textile and fashion market with high quality demands. The conversation with the LIAA Trade Commissioner showed that the French especially value certified, eco-friendly production. Latvian linen and our production quality can find a place there if presented in the right way.

United Kingdom

In the UK, post-Brexit customs and certification layers have become more complex, but purchasing power remains high. Retail chains keep looking for European suppliers. The LIAA Trade Commissioner shared specific contacts with British retail chains that are currently expanding their assortment.

Sweden

We already sell a fair amount to Sweden. The conversation confirmed what we knew. Swedish buyers place a particularly high value on honest social and environmental standards. GOTS, Higg Index and OEKO-TEX certifications are becoming not just useful but practically mandatory if you want to work with the big Swedish brands.

Finland

Finland is our neighbour with a similar work culture. The LIAA Trade Commissioner spoke about opportunities in technical textiles. In medical, safety and professional textile segments, Finland is actively looking for partners. This is a segment where some of our members already operate, and where we have real competitive advantages.

Italy

Italy is the textile country of the world. It is simple to buy there but hard to sell. Still, the LIAA Trade Commissioner stressed an important point. Italian fashion houses increasingly look for small, high-quality supplier companies from the Baltics, because they want to diversify risk and find unique materials. Niche suppliers can find very good orders there.

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is a large growing market opportunity that we rarely talk about. The Latvian diplomat explained that local textile demand is growing fast and European-quality companies are welcome. But entering the market requires patience and physical presence. This is not a market you can conquer from a Riga office alone.

What the day confirmed

Latvian textile companies are not alone on the export road. LIAA and the Foreign Ministry have built a working network in 29 countries that just needs to be used. Our job in the association is to help members learn about this network, connect with the right people and prepare applications that actually work.

If you are thinking about exports

If you are our member and considering exports to any of the countries mentioned above or any of the other 29, write to us. We can directly connect you with the relevant LIAA Trade Commissioner or diplomat. At no additional cost. This is one of the benefits of being a member of our association.