Klaipėda port surpasses Tallinn and Riga with record quarter

Klaipėda Seaport has again broke records for freight traffic in March, now surpassing other eastern Baltic ports.

“In March we had a huge growth of loads compared to the same month last year. Traffic was up 15% or almost 450,000 tons more,” said the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority Director General Arvydas Vaitkus.

The port handled about 68% more liquid cargo, general cargo handling volumes increased by 14%, but bulk cargo fell by 11%.

“During January and February turnover at Riga port declined by 10% compared to the same period last year, in Tallinn – almost 15%, and in Klaipėda it increased by 7.8%. Klaipėda port is a clear leader among the Baltic states.

“Klaipėda port‘s volumes are now only a million tons below St. Petersburg, a much narrower gap than before. On the other hand, it is not too good, because if the traffic through Russian ports is decreasing, it will affect the performance of other ports as well,” said Vaitkus.

In the first quarter of 2016 Klaipėda Port Authority collected €12.37 million in charges, which 14% up on the same period last year.

“This is the best quarterly result in the history of the port. Again, we have a new record,” said the Klaipėda State Seaport Economy and Finance Director Martynas Armonaitis.

DELFI