Baltic cargo flows diverge: Klaipėda grows, Latvia restructures, Estonia signals new transit

📊 Data Card — Klaipėda Port (Jan–Feb 2026)

Total throughput: 6.8 mt (+7% y/y)

Main cargo segments:

Containers: ~2.3 mt (+24%)

LNG: 585 kt (+32%)

Oil products: 750 kt (+12%)

Ro-Ro: ~1.0 mt (+4%)

👉 Conclusion: Growth supported by containers, while higher LNG and fuel volumes reflect seasonal demand during a colder winter.

📊 Data Card — Latvia Ports (Jan–Feb 2026)

Total throughput (3 ports): ~4.85 mt

Riga: 2.74 mt (–0.1% y/y)

Ventspils: ~1.1 mt (–28% y/y)

Liepāja: ~1.02 mt (–5% y/y)

Cargo structure (Riga as core):

Bulk cargo: 1.29 mt (+12.9%)

Agricultural bulk: 508.7 kt (+2.4%)

Wood pellets: 255.5 kt (+60.9%)

Wood chips: 250.1 kt (–29.2%)

General cargo: 1.00 mt (–20.2%)

Containers: 710.9 kt (–11.0%)

Timber (raw wood): 247.6 kt (–44.0%)

Liquid cargo: 279.9 kt (+44.2%)

Oil products: 204.4 kt (+31.9%)

LPG: 61.0 kt (3.6×)

👉 Conclusion:

Latvia’s total volumes are under pressure, with a sharp decline in Ventspils and weaker results in Liepāja, while Riga remains broadly stable.

Within Riga, cargo structure is shifting:

export-driven segments decline (containers –11%, timber –44%)

energy and biomass grow (oil products +31.9%, LPG 3.6×, pellets +60.9%)

Core facts

Estonia has not yet published January–February port data, as Tallinna Sadam reports quarterly (mid-April).

However, early signals point to the emergence of a new cargo flow from Central Asia. Kazakhstan is negotiating expanded grain and oilseed transit via Sillamäe and Tallinn, with a framework agreement of up to 2 million tonnes over two years.

Initial shipments are already underway: 205,000 tonnes of wheat, including 70,000 tonnes via Sillamäe. Rail freight between Kazakhstan and Estonia reached 382,400 tonnes in 2025 (+2.1× y/y).

Background

Latvia’s cargo structure reflects both external demand shifts and internal rebalancing.

Timber volumes (–44%) align with weakening external demand. Exports to the United States fell by 59.8% in January 2026 (€20.2m), driven primarily by a sharp decline in wood and wood product exports (–85.2%).

At the same time, energy cargo moved in the opposite direction, with oil products and LPG showing strong growth amid higher regional fuel demand.

Regional cargo movement — overall

Klaipėda: growth via containers and energy cargo

Latvia: restructuring — decline in export-driven cargo, growth in energy and biomass

Estonia: no data yet, but early signals of new Central Asia transit

👉 Conclusion:

The Baltic region is shifting from traditional export-oriented raw cargo flows toward a more complex structure combining energy demand, переработку сырья и emerging transit corridors.

Image: photos/photo_223@20-03-2026_21-44-17.jpg