With the exception of the general cargo segment, all cargo types in the Port of Hamburg recorded a slight decline in throughput for the first nine months.
A total of 84 million tons of cargo crossed the quayside in the Port of Hamburg from January to September, representing a decline of 3%, as Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM) has now announced.
At 5.8 million TEU, container throughput in the Port of Hamburg remained almost at the same level as in the same period last year, down 0.4%. Handling rose slightly in the loaded container segment. Conventional general cargo was also handled more frequently.
However, there were also positive developments: “Rail traffic, which is so important for sustainable transportation, also developed positively in the first nine months. As Europe’s largest rail port, we attach great importance to expanding rail transport. Container transport in this sector rose by 2.7%, and the Port of Hamburg also scored in terms of total rail tonnage,” said Axel Mattern, Member of the Executive Board of Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM).
Despite these developments, the weak German economy continues to be reflected in the port’s total throughput. Added to this are the tense political conditions with the war in Ukraine and the attacks by the Houthi militias in the Red Sea. As a result, total seaborne cargo throughput fell by 3%.
At 5.1 million TEU, throughput of loaded containers increased by 0.2% compared to the same period of the previous year. In contrast, the handling of empty containers fell by 4.6% to 722,000 TEU. Overall, container throughput amounted to 5.8 million TEU (-0.4%). Accordingly, the tonnage-based container throughput of 58.2 million tons (-0.1%) was almost at the same level as in the previous year. “Due to the temporary rerouting of ships around the Cape of Good Hope, more western ports were increasingly used as transhipment hubs for Asia-Mediterranean volumes. Hamburg was unable to record this positive effect in container handling,” said HHM.
The conventional general cargo segment again sent out a positive signal. This segment with high value-added potential grew by 3.7% to 904,000 tons.
Bulk cargo in the Port of Hamburg remains “inconsistent”
Bulk cargo throughput in the Port of Hamburg recovered slightly over the course of the year, but still remained in the red. After the first nine months, it stood at 24.9 million tons (-9.3%). At the end of the first half of the year, the decline was still 12.1%. The decline in coal handling due to the shutdown of some power plants continued to have an impact. Overall, the handling of grab cargo amounted to 13.5 million tons (-7.7%).
The export of animal feed stood out positively with a throughput of 4.8 million tons (-4.1%) for suction goods or agribulk with 1.0 million tons and an increase of 7.8%. Imports of oleaginous fruits also improved by 2.8% to 2.3 million tons. A similarly positive picture can be seen in the export of petroleum products with a throughput of 1.3 million tons, an increase of 34.6%. Overall, however, the handling of liquid cargo fell by 15.6% to 6.6 million tons.
China remains the most important trading partner
In the period from January to September, China remained the strongest partner country in terms of throughput with 1.6 million TEU. The USA remains on course for growth. The second strongest partner country increased by 7.6% to 520,000 TEU. However, trade with Brazil also increased by 2.6% to 124,000 TEU. Mexico also performed well, with an increase of 3.5% and a throughput of 81,000 TEU. In addition, seaborne trade with Poland (4th place) developed positively with an increase of 16.0% and a volume of 232,000 TEU and Malaysia (9th place) with 144,000 TEU and a growth of 29.8%.
More container ship calls
In the first three quarters of the year, ship calls with capacity for container cargo in the Port of Hamburg were up 0.3% year-on-year. Medium and small ship sizes developed positively.
Rail stands out
Rail-based container transport in seaport-hinterland traffic grew by 2.7% in the first nine months of this year, reaching 2 million TEU. At 35.1 million tons, total tonnage also remained up over the course of the year. This corresponds to a growth of 1.4%. “The figures show just how efficient the environmentally friendly rail mode of transport is. Despite poor weather conditions and technical and personnel challenges, rail remains on the road to success,” emphasised Mattern.
