Record year likely for Lithuanian Klaipeda's seaport in 2016

Lithuania's Klaipeda's seaport is on track for a record year in 2016 in terms of cargo volumes, Arvydas Vaitkus, director of the Klaipeda State Seaport Authority, said on Wednesday.

"If December goes well for us, the new yearly record of cargo handling volumes will be reached by the end of 2016, amounting to 40 million tons," Vaitkus was quoted as saying at a press conference in Klaipeda by local website vz.lt.

In the Jan.-Nov. period, the seaport's cargo handling turnover increased by 4.6 percent year on year from a year ago to 36.7 million tons, the authority said.

In all of 2015, cargo handling volumes amounted to 38.5 million tons.

Vaitkus attributed this year's progress to sustainable state and private sector investments into the seaport's infrastructure.

In November, cargo handling turnover amounted to 3.45 million tons, a 21.5-percent increase from the same month in 2015.

The Klaipeda seaport authority expects the company's net profit to amount to 31 million euros (33.3 million U.S. dollars) this year.

The seaport's cargo handling increased in all most important segments this year, including oil products, containers, roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) cargo and liquefied natural gas.

Klaipeda State Seaport is a port on the Eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. It is the biggest Lithuanian transport hub, connecting sea, land and railway routes. Endit