Good for Business, Latvia, Port

Last year cargo turnover at Liepaja port was the second highest after it resumed operations in 1991. According to Liepaja SEZ administrator Guntars Krievins, such results prove that Liepaja port is able to work also under complicated geopolitical and economic circumstances.

Bulk cargos accounted for 3.924 mln. tons in 2015, up 7.9 % from 2014, including grain and grain products cargos reaching 2.901 mln. tons, up 5.4 %, and cargos of construction materials being reloaded at 568,100 tons, up 11.2 % year-on-year.

Handling of general cargos last year reached 1.325 mln. tons or by 1 % more from a year ago, while liquid cargos reached 362,800 tons, up 2.9 % from 2014.

Of the stevedores operating at Liepaja port, Liepaja Bulk Terminal reloaded the largest amount of cargos in 2015 -- 2.15 mln. tons of cargo or 6.2 % more than a year ago. Ekers Stividors LP, which took over all operations and liabilities of Liepajas Osta LM as of September 1, 2015, followed with 1.494 mln. tons, up 26.7 % year-on-year, and Terrabalt came third with 692,300 tons, down 17.9 %.

In 2015 the biggest rise in cargo turnovers was for Mols L -- 5.5 times from 43,600 tons in 2014 to 240,200 tons in 2015. Mols L board member Janis Zvirbulis said that as the company's management changed, the company started more active work in attraction of cargos and good results were achieved.

Liepaja SEZ administrator said that bulk cargos, especially agricultural cargos, have been dominating in Liepaja port in the past years, and not only during the active harvest period. "The port's stevedores are able to ensure a stable flow of agricultural cargos throughout the year, attracting also new groups of cargos, for example, raw sugar that goes in transit through Liepaja port from South America to Russia," said Krievins.

He said that in 2015 handling of cargos of black metal and its products was higher than in 2014, but considerably lower than planned. "It is related with irregular work of KVV Liepajas Metalurgs steel company," Krievins said.

He also said that year 2015 proved that the port may operate with positive results also without KVV Liepajas Metalurgs cargos.

In December 2015 Liepaja port reloaded 519,000 tons of cargos, up 33 % from December 2014, including 416,600 tons of bulk cargos, 75,500 tons of general cargos, and 26,900 tons of liquid cargos.

The annual cargo turnover in 2014 was 5.3 mln. tons, up 9.5 % from 2013.

Liepaja is the third largest Latvian port by cargo turnover.