Transporting cargo in a container via transit through other ports is undoubtedly much more expensive than shipping cargo directly from Riga to its destination, and as a result, Latvian timber processing exports lose some of their competitiveness.

“We hope that this first project of shipping a large cargo of timber products directly to the USA will serve as a signal for Latvian timber producers and exporters to join forces, create large-scale consolidated shipments and deliver them directly to the US market.

This could be especially relevant right now, when as a result of the global crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, containers are not available in the required quantities in Europe, and they are disproportionately expensive.