Cargo turnover at the Port of Liepaja (Latvia) in January-February 2010 increased by 18% compared with the same period in 2009, up to 708.2 thousand tons, PortNews reports citing the Port Authority.

The statistics report shows the port handled this Jan.- Feb. 281.200 tons of grain, a 20% rise over the same period last year, transshipped 82.900 tons of oil products, showing a 2.8 times growth. The port also had a 5-percent gain in general cargo, up to 269.000 tons, as much as 3.5 times rise in chemical cargoes, at 19.400 tons, 86.000 tons of ferrous metals, 15% more than in Jan.-Feb., 2009. However, the port’s statement said, the crude oil volumes fell by 27.4%, to 18.400 tons.

Port of Liepaja was founded in the 90-es located on the former USSR’s naval base. Today it ranks third port in Latvia in freight traffic volumes. Half of its throughput falls on oil and bulk cargoes imported from the CIS countries, first of all, from Belarus. In 2009 the port’s output increased by 4.6%, to 4.38 million tons.v