Cargo traffic at Free Port of Riga in 2011 increased year-over-year by 11.8% to 34.07 million tons, the Port Authority said.

Transshipment of coal increased by 16.9% from a year before, to 13.49 million tons. Handling of oil products rose 15.1% to 7.51 million tons. Shipment of timber cargo shrank by 8% to 2.67 million tons, of ore – decreased by 17% to 634,600 tons, of wood pellets – by 13.8% to 1.05 million tons.

Chemicals volume rose by 24.9% to 1.71 million tons, handling of building materials jumped by 54% to 607,400 tons, of scrap metal – increased by 26.5% to 511,800 tons.

Riga port’s container throughput grew by 17.8% to 243.630 TEUs.

In 2011, passenger traffic rose 9.9% to 839,712 people, including 28,127 passengers from cruise ships (+8.5%).

Latvia-based Free Port of Riga lies on both banks of the River Daugava (Western Dvina), The port encompasses 6.348 hectares, including 13,818-meter waterfront with berths max depths of 16 meters (ship draft – 12.2 m). Transit cargoes account for 80 percent of overall freight traffic moved to / from the CIS countries. In 2010, cargo throughput of the Port of Riga rose 2.5 percent to 30,475,000 tons.