75.2 million tonnes of freight were carried by land and pipeline transport, a decrease of 4.4 % compared to a year ago.
In the first nine months of 2023 rail transport freight comprised 11.6 million tonnes, which is 30.2 % less than in the same nine months of 2022. National freight by rail comprised 1.3 million tonnes – 6.7 % less. In international traffic the volume of freight transported by rail comprised 10.3 million tonnes, a drop of 32.3 %. Of which export freight transport amounted to 2.8 million tonnes, 17 % more, import freight transport – 6.9 million tonnes, a drop of 38.5 %, but goods in transit – 0.6 million tonnes, 62.4 % less. As compared to the nine months of 2022, transportation of freights via Latvian ports comprised 8.1 million tonnes, which is 28.9 % less.
Freight by road comprised 63.6 million tonnes, which is 3 % more than in the corresponding period of the previous year. Transportation of national freight comprised 52.1 million tonnes, 5.6 % more than a year ago. Transportation of international freight accounted for 11.5 million tonnes – 7.4 % less. Of which export freight transport comprised 3.7 million tonnes, 5.8 % less. Transportation of import freight fell by 6.3 % and comprised 2.6 million tonnes of freight. Cross-trade and cabotage freights comprised 5.2 million tonnes, 9.1 % less than in the previous year. 73.8 % of total road freight was transportation for hire or reward. They fell by 2.6 %.
No transportation of oil products via pipelines took place at all.
In the nine months of 2023 the cargo loaded and unloaded at ports comprised 29.3 million tonnes, which is 16.4 % less than in the nine months of 2022. Freight turnover at Riga port was 14.1 million tonnes, 18.5 % less, at Ventspils port – 8.3 million tonnes or 20.9 % less, at Liepāja port – 5.2 million tonnes or 8.1 % less, but at minor ports – 1.7 million tonnes or 8 % more.
Freight loaded at ports comprised 19.3 million tonnes, which is 23.6 % less than in the nine months of 2022. Coal loaded comprised 1.9 million, which was 3.2 million tonnes or 63.1 % less. The volume of freight in containers fell by 2.4 %, of roll on/roll off by 16.7 %, of oil products loaded by 38.4 %, of wood chips by 7.3 %. But volume of timber increased by 0.3 %, of grain and grain products by 13.8 %.
10 million tonnes of freight were unloaded at ports, their volume rose by 2.5 %. Volume of unloaded freights in containers rose by 9.6 %, of coals by 17.9 %, of building materials 4 times and volume of iron ore by 32.9 %. But volume of oil products unloaded reduced by 21.5 %, of roll on/roll off by 5.1 %, of timber by 51.5 %, of grain and grain products by 66.3 %.
Riga International Airport loaded and unloaded 14 thousand tonnes of freight or 10.6 % less than in the nine months of 2022.
