Totaling 46.5 million tons, the container handling that predominates in Hamburg as a universal port totaled 4.5 million TEU (20-ft standard containers), representing a 2.1 percent increase. On average, the largest seaports in the North European Range reported downturns of 0.4 percent in total throughput and 1.2 percent on containers handled. In other words, the Port of Hamburg can look back on above-average growth and strengthened its market position.
Responsible for the gratifying result on container handling were growth on the export side with a total of 2.2 million TEU (+ 2.6 percent) and stronger imports once again at 2.3 million TEU (+ 1.7 percent). At 3.9 million TEU, throughput of loaded containers was 2.4 percent higher. Having been reported as falling in the past two years in Hamburg, handling of empty containers stabilized at 600,000 TEU (+ 0.2 percent).
“Hamburg is further extending its position as Germany’s largest universal port and we are delighted that both general and bulk cargo handling contributed to the excellent throughput result,” says Axel Mattern, Executive Board Member of Port of Hamburg Marketing. At 47.4 million tons, general cargo throughput was up by 3.1 percent, while at 20.7 million tons, bulk cargo handling grew by 4.4 percent.