Port of Riga traffic volume grows 23.6 percent

Cargo throughput at the Latvia’s port of Riga in the first quarter of 2012 rose 23.6% compared to January-March of last year, to 9,487,000 tons, the Port Authority said. Coal shipments through the port surged by 30.6% form last year’s numbers, to 3.85 million tons, of oil products - by 18.7% - to 2.42 million tons, while handling of timber cargo fell 4.8% to 558,000 tons, chemicals volume was down 0.9% to 325,400 tons, the three-month volume of ore plummeted by 50.8% to 93,900 tons. Handling of wood pellets increased by 29.2% to 273,700 tons, of construction materials - by 5.4% to 27,300 tons. Transshipment of scrap metal grew 32.9% to 161,600 tons.

In the reporting period, container traffic rose 30.5% to 86.880 TEUs. The port handled 147,225 passengers, up 4.8% from a year earlier, including 3,342 people carried by cruise ships (-20.7%).

...