Klaipėda Port strengthens its position: growth of CARGO Handling and increasing market share

Seven per cent more cargo handled and more than three percentage points increase in market share among the Baltic ports – this is how the statistics of Klaipėda port cargo handling in the three quarters of this year could be described in one sentence. The most significant increase in cargo handling volumes at the port was driven by the recent months, with cargo handling volumes exceeding 3 million tonnes in August and September.

“Klaipėda’s ability to increase its cargo handling volumes even as the overall Baltic ports’ volumes are declining is proof that Klaipėda offers what global markets demand today – efficiency, flexibility and modern infrastructure. This is not a short-term achievement, it is the accomplishment of our focused strategy. Klaipėda Port continues to strengthen its position by attracting new investments and cargo flows, because we are not just observers – we are shaping the future,” says Algis Latakas, Director General of Klaipėda State Seaport Authority.

Of the three quarters this year, the third is the most successful. August saw the first breakthrough of the 3 million tonne barrier in cargo handling this year, with 3.35 million tonnes, while September was even more eventful with 3.5 million tonnes. The cargo in containers increased significantly in September, with an increase of 75% or 400 000 tonnes compared to September last year. In September, the port handled more cargoes of minerals and construction materials, LNG gas and grains. Only petroleum products and scrap metal were handled less this year than in September last year.

The biggest influence on the overall cargo growth in the Port of Klaipėda in the first nine months of this year was the handling of minerals and building materials (+91% or 651 thousand tonnes), vehicles transported by ferries (+18% or 703 thousand tonnes), timber and forestry products (+58% or 202 thousand tonnes), fertilisers (+22% or 230 thousand tonnes) compared to the same period of the previous year. This year also saw higher ship (+3%) and passenger (+9%) traffic.

During the first 9 months of this year, compared to last year, Klaipėda Port saw a cargo handling decrease in the number of container TEUs (-2% or 14 648 TEUs), petroleum products (-13% or 431 thousand tonnes) and LNG gas (-23% or 413 thousand tonnes), which was mainly influenced by the departure of the LNG terminal “Independence” for a month-long inspection and repair in the dry dock in Denmark.

In total, the port handled 25.8 million tonnes of cargo in 3 quarters of this year.

The total cargo handling of Baltic ports in January-September has lowered by 2% or 1.5 million tonnes compared to the same period in 2023. This is due to a decline in cargo volumes at the Latvian ports of Ventspils and Riga. Meanwhile, Klaipėda Port has been growing its market share and, compared to its neighbouring ports, it has increased the most by 3.3 percentage points – from 35.4 per cent last year to 38.7 this year.