Cargo traffic at Latvia's Port of Liepaja climbed by 22.8% to 586,900 t in January 2017

Freight volume handled in the Port of Liepaja, Latvia in January 2017 climbed by 22.8%, year-on-year, to 586,900 tonnes, the Port Authority told IAA PortNews.

In the reporting period grain shipments climbed by 12.1% to 287,700 t, construction material – down 32% to 32,600 t, forest cargo – down 25.7% to 30,800 t, oil products – down 36.2% to 20,400 t.

Container traffic shrank by 25% to 129 TEUs, Ro-Ro – up 8% to 2,324 units. Passenger traffic decreased by 5% to 2,209 people.

The number of ship calls grew by 8% to 120 units.

Port of Liepaja was founded in the 90s of last century at the former Soviet Union’s naval base. Liepaja ranks third port of Latvia by handled cargo volume. Half of the port’s cargo throughput is fueled by crude oil and bulk cargoes imported from the CIS countries, largely from Belorussia. In 2016, throughput of Liepaja port was 5.68 million tonnes.