Offers five priority directions for the reorientation of Latvian ports and logistics industry from Russia

In the near future, the minister is planning visits to Germany, Denmark and Belgium to look for new opportunities for cooperation. He notes that the same is true of sea cargo from the Far East to Central Europe, adding that Latvian ports are currently not using their full potential to compete with the large European ports.

“For example, comparing the entire supply chain Hamburg-Prague and Riga-Prague, we have an advantage of 300-400 euros per transported container. This is a very significant advantage that our southern neighbors have been using for a long time,” says Brišken.

He notes that if Latvia’s economy currently earns approximately 17 euros per ton from low-added-value transit, then joining such higher-added-value supply chains would at least double Latvia’s benefit. “Latvia has to strategically look at the markets of North America, Western and Nordic countries, as well as Central Asia,” emphasizes Briškens.

Ro-ro cargo transportation is also a priority, including strengthening strategic cooperation with “Stena Line” and channeling investments into the reconstruction of piers in order to accommodate larger ships.

As another direction, the minister points out Latvia’s export and domestic transportation. Commenting on what should be done with VAS “Latvijas dzelzceļš” (LDz), with the significant drop in Russian cheap cargo volumes, he points out that it is logical to start with domestic cargo transportation, promoting the transfer of cargo from road transport to rail.

Briškens says that Latvia has long invested huge amounts of European Union (EU) funds in the expansion of cheap transit infrastructure, but the need to connect industrial parks with the railway, as well as to build domestic terminals, was forgotten.