RIGA, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Freeport of Riga handled 36.4 million tons of various cargo in 2018, which was an 8.2 percent increase against a year before, the port's statistics show.
Growth was recorded in nearly all segments of cargo, except for oil products, which fell 27.6 percent, as well as chemical and metal cargos and ore.
Riga port representatives attributed the positive dynamic to growth in the segments of bulk and general cargo. In 2018, reloading of bulk cargo at the port rose by 23.7 million, or 13.3 percent, from 2017, while handling of general cargo was up 22.6 percent year-on-year to 8.6 million tons, which is a new record for the port.
The shipping of containerized and agricultural cargo through the Freeport of Riga also continued to increase last year, with new records set in these cargo segments as well, the port's spokespeople informed.
The number of ship passengers arriving to and departing from Riga also hit a new record-high, as the port served 870,000 passengers last year, up 44.9 percent against 2017.
A number of strategic projects completed at the port last year, including a new multifunctional terminal in Krievusala and dredging of the fairway, are expected to boost the port's competitiveness and capacity in the long term, according to the freeport's representatives.
Riga is the largest port in Latvia by the turnover of cargo and passengers.
