The customs authorities of the three Baltic States have agreed on uniform application of EU sanctions against Russia and Belarus, BNS reports. The directors of the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian customs departments agreed to introduce stricter controls on sanctioned goods exported to or transiting through Russia and Belarus to third countries. The measures include requiring…
Latvia’s state-owned postal service provider, Latvijas Pasts, plans to close most of its post offices by the end of 2024 due to unprofitability, LSM reports. The company will close 105 post offices, of which 93 will only provide services on demand. In the beginning of 2024, Latvijas Pasts had altogether 176 post offices, of which…
The cargo turnover of Latvian ports totalled 38.655mn tonnes in 2023, which was down 19.6% from 48.078mn tonnes in 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Transport, Baltic News Network reports. The ministry attributed the decline to changes in the geopolitical situation, particularly the sanctions against Russia. The volume of bulk cargo handled at…
The number of new layoffs in Estonia totalled 3,500 in 2023, which was 22% more than in 2022, according to data from the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund (Töötukassa), ERR reports. Around a third of those laid off were formerly employed in the manufacturing and another third in transport and storage. The biggest number of layoffs…
Lithuania’s state-owned oil and gas terminal operator, Klaipedos Nafta, has changed its name to KN Energies, GlobeNewswire reports. The company will continue to use the KN brand, however. At the same time, Klaipedos Nafta’s subsidiary, SGD Logistika, changed its name to KN Global Terminals. KN Energies announced that it would focus on liquid and alternative…
The Estonian shipping company, Tallink Grupp, carried a total of 5,705,600 passengers in 2023, which was up 4.5% from 5,462,085 in 2022, ERR reported. The number of passengers increased on the Estonia-Finland and Estonia-Sweden routes, but decreased on the Finland-Sweden routes. The company’s ferries carried 840,881 passenger vehicles in 2023, which was an increase of…
Latvia supports prohibiting the import of Russian grain but will not impose a unilateral ban, parties in the coalition government announced, LSM reports. Instead, Latvia calls on EU member states to agree on a common position on the issue. At the same time, the government is instructing ministries to assess the impact of such a…
The Balticconnector gas pipeline between Estonia and Finland has been closed due to a possible leak, ERR reports. Finnish gas transmission system operator Gasgrid Finland reported that the 77-kilometre undersea pipeline experienced a pressure drop in the early hours of the morning of 8 October 2023. The cause of the problem and the location of…
The presidents of the Baltic States and Poland met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss the transport of Ukrainian grain through EU ports, ERR reports. Estonian President Alar Karis noted that shipping Ukrainian grain via Baltic ports required cooperation with Poland. Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the Lithuanian parliament,…