OREANDA-NEWS. January 11, 2010. Cargo turnover at the Port of Riga (Latvia) in 2009 grew in comparison with the previous year by 0.5% - to 29.724 million tons of cargo. In 2009 the port handled largely bulk cargoes - 18.752 million tons (-3% over 2008). This figure includes coal - 13.957 million tones (+1.3%), chemical cargo - 1.936 million tons (-0.4%), wood chips - 677.4 thousand tons (-12.7%), grains and grain products – 308.5 thousand tons (-17.5%).

In recent year, the port authority said, 6.567 million tones (+21%) of liquid cargo were carried through the port, of which petroleum products - 6.519 million tones (21.7%), liquid petroleum gas - 38,9 thousand tons (-37.4%).

The port handled general cargo at amount of 4.405 million tons (-8.4%), including container cargo - 182.980 thousand TEU (-11,7%), timber - 1.794 million tones (-2.1%) and freight roll on / roll of – 611.6 thousand tons (-5.9%).

As a reminder, the authorities had planned the total freight turnover at Riga port for 2009 at 30 million tons.

The free port of Riga lies on both banks of the River Daugava (Western Dvina), of total size - 6 348 ha, length of berths - 13818 m, maximum draft of vessels at berth - 12,2 m. Up to 80% of the total freight turnover at the Riga Free Port make transit cargo bound to the CIS countries or delivered from them. There are 31 stevedoring companies and 40 companies providing ship’s agency service operating in the Port of Riga. In 2008, the throughput of the port amounted to 29.56 million tons.