Cargo News Asia cited Mr Aivars Taurins head of Latvian Logistics Association as saying that there is fierce competition among all Baltic Sea ports and Russian ports in containerized cargo shipments.

He said high value goods are being shipped in containers. He added that "The competition is sharp in the whole Baltic Sea. Currently as many containers go through Finland as through Latvia and Lithuania together. Important market players also include the Gdynia port in Poland, Kotka, Hamina and Helsinki ports in Finland, St Petersburg and Kaliningrad ports in Russia.”

Mr Taurins said the competition is very fierce. He said that container transport was very much sought after, because it stimulated all other types of transport and the economic development in general. He added that Latvian ports were also glad to reload coal, as it brought more fee-paying ships to Latvian ports, irrespective of their cargo type.

Mr Taurins said that as regards such freight as bulk cargo, liquid cargo and timber Latvian ports see most competition from Lithuania and Russian ports, but in railway cargo transport, the biggest competition is seen from Lithuania.

There are three large and seven small ports in Latvia. In the first seven months of this year, 37,487 tonnes of cargo were reloaded in Latvian ports which are 0.6% less than last year.

(Source from CargonewsAsia)