Throughput of Latvian ports down 1.4% to 16.6 mln t in Q1 09
According to the data of the Central Statistical Bureau, cargo turnover at ports of Latvia in the 1st quarter of 2009 was 16.6 mln tons, which is 1.4 % less if compared to the first 3 months of 2008.
In the 1st quarter of 2009 15.5 mln tons of cargo were loaded at ports which is more by 0.5% than in 2008.
The volume of oil products loaded at ports has increased which in the 1st quarter of 2009 comprised 6.4 mln tons – more by 4.4% than in the 1st quarter of 2008, and the volume of coal loaded increased by 20% and in the 1st quarter comprised 5.3 mln tons. The volume of other main cargo loaded has decreased. The volume of timber (0.7 mln tons) has decreased by 30.9%, of mineral fertilisers (0.7 mln tons) – by 36.5%, of grain and grain products (0.5 mln tons) – by 23.1% if compared to the 3 first months of 2008.
In the 1st quarter of 2009 1.1 mln tons of cargo were unloaded at the ports which is less by 21.5 % than in the 1st quarter of 2008.
The largest part of cargo unloaded was comprised by crude oil and oil products: 0.2 mln tons of each kind of cargo. The volume of unloaded crude oil has increased by 20%, but the volume of oil products – by 30%. In its turn the volume of cargos in containers and roll on/roll off cargos in the 1st quarter of 2009 decreased by 28.7% and 20.6%, respectively.
In the 1st quarter of 2009 7.8 mln tons of cargo were loaded and unloaded at the port of Ventspils which is less by 6.1 % than in the 1st quarter of 2008. The volume of cargo loaded dropped by 6% and comprised 7.3 mln tons, but the volume of cargo unloaded reduced by 7.5%.
If compared to the 2008, in the 1st quarter of 2009 the cargo turnover at the port of Riga has increased by 6.5 % and reached 7.5 mln tons. 7 mln tons of cargos were loaded at the port of Riga, which is 10.4 % more than in the 1st quarter of previous year. 0.5 mln tons of cargos were unloaded at the port of Riga, which is less by 30.3 % than in the same period of previous year.
Cargo turnover at the port of Liepaja in the 1st quarter of 2009 was 1 mln tons, and this is a decrease of 15.1 % if compared to the 1st quarter of 2008. 0.9 mln tons of cargos were loaded at the port of Liepaja, a decrease of 13.3 % if compared to previous year. The volume of cargos unloaded at ports has reduced by 25.9%.
In comparison with the same period of previous year, cargo turnover at the minor ports in the 1st half of 2009 has slightly increased. The volume of cargos loaded and unloaded at the minor ports was 0.3 mln tons, an increase of 0.4 % if compared to the 1st quarter of 2008.
There were 77.7 thsd passenger arrivals at and departures from the passenger port of Riga, an increase of 24.5 % if compared to the 1st quarter of 2008.
n the 1st quarter of 2009 passenger turnover at the port of Ventspils was 2.4 thsd, but at the port of Liepaja – 3.2 thsd passengers.