Cargo, Good for Business, Latvia, Port, Transport

In the first two months of this year, Latvian ports mostly transshipped loose cargo – 6.735 mln tons (26.6% more than in the same period last year). This amount included 3.575 mln tons of coal (36.8% increase), 870,300 tons of grain and grain products (down, 19.,5 %), 438,000 tons of chemicals (8.2% decrease), 420,900 mln tons of woodchips (88.7% increase).

Liquid cargo turnover at Latvian ports decreased 11.4% to 2.495 mln tons. Oil products accounted for most liquid cargo handled by Latvian ports – 2.333 mln tons (13.1% decrease).

General cargo turnover increased 4.7% to 2.19 mln tons - container cargo turnover amounted to 816,000 tons (0.2% decrease), wood – 765,500 tons (23.1% increase), and roll-on/roll-off cargo – 543,700 tons (3.4% decrease).

Riga Port was the largest Latvian port in terms of cargo turnover in the first two months this year, handling a total of 5.546 mln tons of cargo (1.2% increase year on year), followed by Ventspils Port with 4.348 mln tons (40.7 % up) and Liepaja Port with 1.182 mln tons (14.6 % decrease).

Skulte was the leader among Latvia's small ports with cargo turnover at 183,400 tons (36.4% increase on the first two months of 2018), followed by Mersrags Port – 81,700 tons (16.2% increase), and Salacgriva Port – 77,700 tons (17.2 % increase).

The small ports' total cargo turnover in January-February was 360,600 tons, an increase of 27.2% on the first two months last year.

In 2018, Latvian ports handled 66.17 mln tons of cargo, which is a 6.9% increase on the previous year.