OREANDA-NEWS. February 04, 2007. The volume of cargo reloaded at the ports of Latvia in 2007 increased compared to the same period of 2006, according to data of Central Statistical Bureau.

Cargo turnover at ports in 2007 was 62,4 million tons, an increase of 4,9 percent compared to 2006.

55,2 million tons of cargo were loaded at ports in the 12 months of 2007, up by 4 percent on January-December of 2006.

The volume of oil products loaded at ports increased last year as well. 21,1 million tons of oil products were loaded at ports in January-December of 2007, up by 7,1 % on January-December of 2006. Compared to January-December of the previous year, the volume of crude oil loaded at ports in 2007 increased by 3,4 percent and it constituted 1,2 million tons.

Also the volume of mineral fertilizers loaded at ports increased last year. In 2007, 5,2 million tons of mineral fertilizers were loaded at ports, an increase of 1,1 percent compared to the same period of 2006. In addition, 4,6 million tons of timber and 14,6 million tons of coal were loaded at ports, the volume of which was the same as in the previous year.

The volume of cargo unloaded at ports in 12 months of 2007 increased. In January-December of 2007, 7,2 million tons of cargo were unloaded at ports, an increase of 12,9 percent compared to the 12 months of 2006.

Cargo in containers represented the bulk of cargo unloaded: 1,3 million tons. The volume of this cargo unloaded increased by 18,9 percent in comparison with January-December 2006.

In the 12 months of 2007, the volume of roll on/roll off cargo unloaded at ports was 1,1 million tons, an increase of 14 percent compared to 2006. In 2007, the volume of crude oil unloaded at ports increased by 6 percent, but the volume of oil products increased by 4,5 percent. In 2007, the volume of construction materials increased by 12,7 percent and reached 1 million tons. The volume of sugar unloaded at ports decreased by 39,5 percent, which in 2007 was only 0,3 million tons.

In January-December 2007, 31 million tons of cargo were loaded and unloaded at the port of Ventspils, an increase of 6,8 percent in comparison with the corresponding period of 2006.

The volume of cargo loaded in 2007 in the port of Ventspils increased by 6,9 percent and was 28.1 million tons. Compared to the 12 months of 2006, the volume of coal loaded at the port of Ventspils in 2007 increased by 4,4 percent, comprising only 4,1 million tons. The volume of crude oil and oil products loaded in tankers at the port of Ventspils increased as well, reaching 1 million tons and 16,3 million tons, respectively.

The volume of crude oil loaded increased by 4,8 percent, but the volume of oil products - by 11,7 percent. The volume of roll on/roll off cargo loaded in the 12 months of 2007 decreased by 11,4 percent, reaching 0,9 million tons. Also the volume of potassium salt loaded decreased by 12,5 percent (total volume constituted 3,2 million tons).

The volume of cargo unloaded at the port of Ventspils increased by 5,5 percent in the 12 months of 2007. The volume of roll on/roll off cargo unloaded at the port of Ventspils in the 12 months of 2007 increased by 2,3 percent. The volume of crude oil unloaded increased by 5,8 percent and the volume of oil products unloaded increased 4,8 percent. The volume of sugar unloaded decreased by 30,4 percent.

Cargo turnover at the port of Riga in the 12 months of 2007 increased by 2,3 percent and constituted 25,9 million tons compared to January-December of the previous year.

22.5 million tons of cargo were loaded at the port of Riga which is up by 0,2 percent than in the previous year. Coal accounted for the bulk of cargo loaded at the port of Riga: 10,5 million tons, which is down by 1,8 percent than in the 12 months of 2006.

The volume of timber loaded in 2007 was 2,9 million tons, which is down by 2,7 percent than in the corresponding period of 2006. In the 12 months of 2007, 4,2 million tons of oil products were loaded at the port of Riga which is down by 2,9 percent than in the previous year.

The volume of mineral fertilizers and cargo in containers loaded at the port of Riga increased- respectively, by 42,2 percent and 6,2 percent.

The volume of cargo unloaded at the port of Riga increased in January-December of 2007. 3,4 million tons of cargo were unloaded at the port of Riga which is up by 19,1 percent than in the 12 months of previous year. In January-December of 2007, 1,2 million tons of cargo in containers were unloaded at the port of Riga, an increase of 20,9 percent compared to the 12 months of 2006. The volume of construction materials unloaded at the port of Riga has slightly decreased- by 6,6 percent and constitutes 0,6 million tons.

In 2007, the volume of cargo loaded and unloaded at the port of Liepaja has slightly increased compared to the previous year. Cargo turnover at the port of Liepaja in the 12 months of 2007 was 4 million tons, and this is an increase of 0,9 percent compared to the corresponding period of 2006.

In January- December of 2007, 3,3 million tons of cargo were loaded at the port of Liepaja which is down by 2,6 percent than in the previous year.

The volume of grain and grain products increased 1,5 times in comparison with 2006. By contrast, there were the following decreases in the volumes of other relevant cargo loaded: the volume of oil products - by 24,3 percent, timber loaded - by 10,1 percent, base metals and articles of base metals - by 6,7 percent.

In January-December of 2007, the volume of cargo unloaded at the port of Liepaja increased and reached 0,7 million tons, which is up by 20,2 percent than in the previous year.

Grain and grain products accounted for the bulk of cargo unloaded. However, the volume has decreased by 5,1 percent.

Cargo turnover at the minor ports in 2007 increased in comparison with the previous year. In the 12 months of 2007 the volume of cargo loaded and unloaded at the minor ports was 1,4 million tons, which is up by 32,4 percent compared to the previous year. Cargoes loaded accounted for the bulk (84,7 percent) of cargo turnover at the minor ports; of these, timber cargo constituted 0,8 million tons, wood chips- 0,3 million tons.