Port of Klaipeda cargo volumes rose 16.1% in April to 3.11 million tonnes

Cargo traffic at Lithuania based Port of Klaipeda in April 2014 totaled 3.11 million tonnes, a 16.1% growth on the same period a year earlier, the Klaipeda State Seaport Authority statistics show.

The growth was attributed to a record monthly volume of fertilizers handled ever at the port. The terminal handled 1.23 million tonnes (+60.9%) of granular, liquid and packed fertilizers. The port also reported a 219.5 times surge in ore shipments, to 91,800 tonnes. Handling of agri products increased by 34.6% to 88,400 tonnes.

There was a 14.5% increase in containerized cargo, to 451,400 tonnes. Transshipment of petroleum products fell by 2.2% to 616,300 tonnes, and RORO cargo volume dropped 7.5% to 358,500 tonnes.

State-run Port of Klaipeda, the northernmost ice-free port on the East coast of the Baltic Sea, is the largest Lithuanian transport hub, connecting sea and inland traffic lanes. There are 17 stevedore companies, shipyards and other operators at the port, providing a broad range of services. In 2013, total throughput of Port of Klaipeda and Butingės terminal was 33,42 million tonnes.