OREANDA-NEWS. March 30, 2010. In January-February 2010, the port of Ventspils handled 4,656 million tons of cargo, while in corresponding period of 2009 it handled 5,210 million tons (negative change -11 % or -554 thousand tons). This year, handling of liquid cargo at the port of Ventspils decreased (2,795 million tons handled, negative change by -27 % or by -1 040 thousand tons), while figures for handling of bulk and dry cargo increased (1,575 million tons handled, positive change by +38 % or by +430 thousand tons), and general cargo also increased (0,286 million tons handled, positive change by +24 % or by +56 thousand tons), in comparison to January-February of 2009.

In terms of cargo nomenclature, the biggest drop in cargo handling figures was recorded for oil products (drop by -861 thousand tons or by -25 %, 2 576 thousand tons handled), coal (drop by -254 thousand tons or by -28 %, 667 thousand tons handled), crude oil (drop by -163 thousand tons or by -67 %, 80 thousand tons handled), wood pellets (drop by -18 thousand tons or by -31 %, 41 thousand tons handled). The biggest growth in cargo handling was recorded for ore (increase by +348 thousand tons or by +2 320 %, 363 thousand tons handled), fertilizers (increase by +231 thousand tons or by +563 %, 272 thousand tons handled), grain (increase by +114 thousand tons or by +152 %, 189 thousand tons handled), Ro-Ro cargoes (increase by +58 thousand tons or by +44 %, 191 thousand tons handled), raw sugar (increase by +15 thousand tons or by +375 %, 19 thousand tons handled) and timber (increase by +12 thousand tons or by +16 %, 87 thousand tons handled).

This year no containers were handled in Ventspils port, while 60 TEU were handled in the first two months of 2009.

In January-February 2010 the number of passengers in the neighbouring country increased by 259 passengers and amounted to 1 541, i.e. by 20 % more than in January-February 2009.

284 ships were serviced at the port of Ventspils in the first two months of 2010, i.e. by 20 % or by 69 ships less than in corresponding period of 2009.