For business owners and managers: international cooperation is not a luxury, but a key condition for growth in 2025 and 2026
On October 10, 2025, Riga became a business hub for three strategically important regions. The "US-Latvia-Kazakhstan B2B Cooperation 2025" meeting, organized by the Hotulanus business club and held at the Extron Balticport terminal, reinforced the direction towards trilateral cooperation, in which Latvia is not only a bridge but also a key point for investment, logistics and experience exchange center between the West and Central Asian countries.
Three synergies: the importance of dialogue
The event was opened by Vitālijs Dubovs, member of the board of the Hotulanus business club, who welcomed the participants in the national language. Afterwards, opening the event, Aleksandrs Jemeljanovs, Chairman of the Hotulanus Business Club, emphasized the main mission: to create a strong business community and expand international cooperation. The successful experience of the previous meeting (with the Chernihiv Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry delegation, Ukrainian entrepreneurs, and last year's roundtable discussion "Latvia and Kazakhstan B2B") laid the foundation for the transition to a broader format with US participation.
The goal of this roundtable was clear—to promote economic development, establish business contacts, and exchange information about business interests. In a context of global instability, such dialogue becomes extremely important, allowing not only to reduce risks, but also to make the most of each member state's unique advantages.
Economic opportunity: figures and prospects
International cooperation between the US, Latvia, and Kazakhstan opens up a direct path to significant economic opportunities based on market and asset complementarity:
Country | Key role in cooperation | Business prospects |
USA | Source of investment capital, high technology (especially in the IT field) and strict corporate governance standards. | Gateway to European (via Latvia) and Central Asian markets (via Kazakhstan). |
Latvia | Strategic logistics hub (gateway to the EU and Scandinavia) and financial center operating in accordance with EU standards. | Attracting American investment and transit of Kazakh goods to Europe. |
Kazakhstan | Largest supplier of raw materials (metal, fertilizers, grain, oil) and main hub in Central Asia. | Attracting Western investment and technology and optimizing export routes through the Baltic states. |
Statistical context (2024–2025):
Kazakhstan–US: Trade between the countries reached USD 4.2 billion in 2024. At the same time, according to data for January–July 2025, mutual trade reached approximately USD 1.9 billion. Kazakhstan's exports to the US (oil, uranium, ferroalloys) are growing, which highlights America's growing interest in Central Asia's raw material resources.
Kazakhstan–Latvia: In 2024, trade turnover amounted to approximately US$231 million. Approximately 145 Latvian companies (pharmaceuticals, banking services) are successfully operating in Kazakhstan. Latvian ports and railways are vital for Kazakhstan's exports to the EU.
Latvia–US: As a member of the EU and NATO, Latvia is a reliable partner for American investment.
Overall conclusion: The round table took place at a time when the trilateral partnership is growing, overcoming obstacles and seeking new areas of growth, such as logistics, fertilizers, animal feed, metal supply, and employee selection—areas that are already the subject of active negotiations.
Challenges and solutions: two main discussions
The event consisted of two main discussion sessions that directly reflected the main challenges of B2B cooperation.
1. Legal protection and investment (moderator: Andris Berziņš, SIA Security Management and Consulting)
The US, Latvia, and Kazakhstan face unique but solvable legal obstacles:
- US: Predictability of the judicial system and strong intellectual property protection are needed (especially important in the IT sector).
- Latvia: Strict compliance with EU standards must be ensured, including AML (anti-money laundering) requirements and transparency of financial flows.
- Kazakhstan: The main issue is the protection of investments against unfair practices and the optimization of currency controls.
How to ensure that transactions comply with strict EU and US AML requirements when working with capital from Kazakhstan?
Participants discussed due diligence procedures and the issue of verifying the origin of funds. A call to action was made: to jointly standardize DD procedures in order to reduce the time required to open accounts and launch investment projects.
Fast and effective resolution of international commercial disputes.
The Riga Arbitration Court ensures effective dispute resolution within short timeframes. In today's society, arbitration courts are a widely recognized and used means of resolving economic disputes not only within the borders of a particular country, but also in the field of international commercial relations and trade.
2. The Baltic States as a strategic transport hub (Moderator: Vitalijs Hohla, SIA SB Transport)
The second discussion highlighted Latvia's critical role in Eurasian supply chains.
Latvia's advantage: its geographical location between Lithuania and Estonia makes the country a logistics "bridge."
Ports: The strengths and weaknesses of the ports of Riga, Ventspils, and Liepaja were discussed. Investments in automation and digitization are needed to increase competitiveness. Containers, grain, and metal from Central Asia were named as the most promising cargoes.
Decision: In order to maintain transit flows and strengthen market positions, multimodal transport (port – rail – road) and the development of outsourced warehousing services are very important – a product that is presented as an effective tool for entering new markets.
Results: New contacts – new contracts
The round table "B2B Cooperation between America, Latvia and Kazakhstan 2025" became more than just a platform for exchanging views. It is an undeniable benefit for all participants:
New business communication circle: direct contacts were established between representatives of the USA (Yuri Shirokik, JOI Consulting), Kazakhstan (Rustam Mirzabayev, AK BNR) and Latvia.
Specific areas of work: Priority areas have been identified: logistics, fertilizer, feed and metal supplies from Kazakhstan to the Baltic States, as well as personnel selection.
Exchange of requests: Participants are actively looking for suppliers:
In Asia (Kazakhstan): sulfate, wheat, rapeseed, linseed, fittings (metal).
In America: grain, soybeans.
Latvian companies offered key services: sea and rail transport and warehousing outsourcing.
This roundtable discussion showed that trust, transparency, and logistics optimization are the three cornerstones of successful trilateral B2B cooperation. This is a clear signal to businesses: the future belongs to international cooperation, and Riga is ready to play a leading role in this process.
During the roundtable discussion, agreements were reached between AK BNR Independent Investigation Bureauwww.bnr.kz) in Kazakhstan and SIA Security Management and Consulting in Latviawww.smconsulting.lv) on bilateral legal cooperation, accompanying transactions between Kazakh and Latvian entrepreneurs, as well as legal assistance to Kazakh citizens.
Those who have questions or suggestions regarding cooperation between the countries can contact the event organizers, the Hotulanus business club: info@hotulanus.eu