• 2019 January 18 10:47

    Free zone status is a crucial advantage for the future development of the Freeport of Riga

    One of the crucial features of the investment climate at the Freeport of Riga is an opportunity for merchants to operate under the Free Economic Zone Regime, the port says in a press release. The new Freeport of Riga Development Programme 2019-2028 provides for active promotion of the advantages ensured by the free economic zone in order to use the port territory more effectively and attract new development projects to vacant port territories.

    There is an opinion that a free economic zone is an invention of the 20th century. However, in the case of ports, the introduction of special tax arrangements as an approach to facilitating trade has existed for many centuries. The concept of the freeport itself has long implied special conditions which mostly apply to the customs clearance of goods. The significance of the freeport regime in facilitating trade is suggested by the fact that during the times of the first Free State of Latvia, the law on the Freeport of Riga was adopted before the development of the Constitution was finished.

    Today, the Free Zone involves many different activities — from significant tax discounts to facilitated customs and goods flow procedures. The total direct tax discounts for a merchant may reach up to 55% of the investment amount made in the port territory. The activity of entrepreneurs operating in the Port of Riga, using advantages offered by the Free Zone, suggests that the Free Zone Regime facilitates the attraction of investment and cargo turnover. The number of merchants which signed operation agreements under a special regime at the Port of Riga has significantly increased over the last decade. In 2009, licensed business activities were carried out by 16 companies, while in 2018 permits for licensed business activities have already been received by 23 companies.

    “More than half of the total investment made by port companies in port infrastructure over the last decade has been made precisely by merchants that operate under a special regime and can use tax discounts. All of them are new, large companies which have constructed the infrastructure for terminals over the last decade: SIA “Riga Fertilizer Terminal”, SIA “Riga Bulk Terminal”, SIA “TFS Trans” and others”, said Edgars Sūna, Deputy CEO of the Freeport of Riga for Port Development Matters.

    In turn, Atis Šulte, Business Development Director of SIA “Rīgas Universālais termināls” (RUT), explained: “Operation under the Free Zone Regime provides both direct advantages to our company and favourable conditions which we can offer our clients. Tax breaks eventually mean more funds for the company, which remain at our disposal and which we can further invest in the development of the terminal and improvement of competitiveness”.

    The free economic zone plays a role in attracting new clients and cargo to the Port of Riga. Šulte continued: “For our clients, the status of a free economic zone primarily means advantages in the fulfilment of customs formalities when exporting or storing cargo in our terminal. This, in turn, enables us to be a step ahead in terms of market competition. Benefits provided by Free Zone status definitely played a role in the decision of our strategic partner, the company Portekfrom Singapore, to invest in the company five years ago”.




2024 November 4

17:27 Hapag-Lloyd christens the “Hamburg Express” in the Port of Hamburg
15:52 Paradip Port to be fully mechanised by 2030
14:13 Autonomous vessel to sail 1,500 km from Mumbai to Tuticorin
13:48 DPA Kandla in a plan for new container terminal and multipurpose berth with ₹27,000 crore investment
12:18 China's 41st Antarctic expedition begins
10:34 10 years old Meyer Turku aims for carbon-neutral shipbuilding
09:41 Port of Vancouver vessel traffic management system enhances marine safety and trade efficiency throughout Burrard Inlet

2024 November 3

15:57 Babcock completes deep maintenance of Lambeth River Station
14:09 Fincantieri and BQ Solutions sign MoU to advance naval education and training in Qatar 31 October 2024
12:51 Rolls-Royce develops new mtu energy and automation solutions for future submarines
10:19 Cepsa changes its name to Moeve
09:46 Singapore says no oil sightings arising from oil-related incidents

2024 November 2

18:06 Singapore’s first fully electric cargo vessel wins Green Ship Award at SRS Forum
17:20 VTTI looks to buy into LNG terminals in Asia
16:48 Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding signs contracts for 12 large container ships in the past 10 days
16:32 CHIMBUSCO secures its first LNG refueling service in Europe
15:46 SLB OneSubsea awarded subsea boosting contract for bp’s Kaskida project in Gulf of Mexico
15:24 Wilson Sons to start construction of three new eco-friendly tugboats in 2025
14:57 Rem Offshore holds keel laying ceremony for REM Pioneer
12:30 World's first conversion of large container ship to run on methanol successfully completed
11:52 New offshore platform taps into potential of heavy-oil reserves in China
11:24 HRDD completes desulphurization tower system conversion for a PCTC
09:48 TOWT launches its first cargo sailing ship in Le Havre

2024 November 1

18:00 Marlink to deploy Sealink NextGen hybrid solution on 26 tankers for Transpetro
17:38 Austal Australia delivers 8th Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boat to Royal Australian Navy
17:23 Acteon and Applied Fiber enter MoU to collaborate on mooring solutions
16:54 KOTUG International and Maritalia S.A. secure major marine services contract for bp’s Greater Tortue Ahmeyim gas project
16:24 BW LPG takes delivery of vessel BW Chinook from Avance Gas
15:44 HD Hyundai may nearly double shipbuilding capacity in Vietnam
15:24 Samsung Heavy Industries secures $390 mln contract for four Suezmax tankers
14:36 EU imposes duties on unfairly subsidised electric vehicles from China
14:23 Port of Montreal workers at two terminals start new strike
13:41 Chinese ports container volume rises 7.7 % from January to September of 2024
13:22 MOL, COSCO Co-host 6th Shanghai International LNG Shipping Forum
12:43 Global schedule reliability drops to 51.4% in September 2024
12:22 GTT secures technical services contract with Maran Tankers for eight LNG Dual-Fuel Suezmax vessels
11:45 MSC inks up $2.1bn container ship at the reborn shipyard Rongsheng Heavy Industries
11:28 China's first 'smart factory' for offshore oil, gas equipment fully operational
10:43 Yanmar completes land-based demonstration testing of a hydrogen engine for power generation in coastal vessels
10:23 Samsung Heavy wins W358 bln LNG ship order in Asia
09:58 EU greenhouse gas emissions fell by over 8% in 2023

2024 October 31

18:00 MAN receives multiple orders for MAN B&W G95ME-LGIM Mk 10.5 methanol engines to power a series of VLCV
17:23 The Marechal Duque de Caxias platform ship starts producing in the pre-salt layer
17:06 IWS Seawalker CSOV makes it 1000 ship designs from Kongsberg Maritime
16:45 “K” Line Wind Service and Japan Marine United sign agreement for Phase 2 of NEDO’s Green Innovation Fund Project
16:04 Wärtsilä introduces its innovative NextDF feature for the Wärtsilä 25DF dual-fuel engine
15:45 MOL plans to change charter contract for vessels related to Russia business
15:44 MABUX: Bunker price trends in the world's four largest hubs, Oct 8 - Nov 1, 2024
15:23 HHLA raises expectations for fiscal year 2024
14:59 Major fire extinguished at UK nuclear submarine yard
14:16 AD Ports Group and Somali Ministry of Fisheries & Blue Economy sign MoU for maritime sector development
13:44 Maersk reports Q3 results
12:43 UECC orders four advanced multi-fuel battery hybrid pure car and truck carriers from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard Nanjing
11:39 Japanese сonsortium produces design concept for eco-friendly VLCC
11:12 TMC Compressors bags contract to supply four LNG carriers
10:46 Panama Canal operating costs down 5% in FY2024
09:29 HIF Global and Antarctica21 promote sustainable tourism with e-Fuels

2024 October 30

18:00 East Java Multipurpose Terminal partners with Sinarmas LDA Usaha Pelabuhan
17:22 Container traffic at Iranian ports up 5% in the first half of the current Iranian calendar year
17:06 CIMC SOE delivers second 7,600 cbm LNG bunkering vessel to Seaspan Energy
16:42 Klaveness Combination Carriers makes first move into wind with bound4blue eSAIL system on CABU III newbuild
16:23 Transport workers' strike in Argentina to affect port operations
15:59 South Korea's seaport container cargo up 3.5 pct in Q3
15:46 Stena Line marks significant milestones in build of NewMax ships, Stena Futura and Stena Connecta
14:55 DNV and LR grant AiP to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for ammonia duel-fuel large container vessel
14:45 Jiaxing Port adds a new sea-river intermodal operation area
13:32 Maersk signs long-term methanol sourcing deal
13:08 MOL and Pyxis sign Collaboration Agreement for development and market expansion of electric vessels in Singapore and Japan
12:40 AD Ports Group and the General Department of Vietnam Customs sign MoU
12:21 TE H2, CIP, and A.P. Møller Capital Partner for a large-scale project in the Kingdom of Morocco