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The port of Hamburg has announced that it recorded a 12.7 percent increase in container throughput in 2010 and that it expects to receive more than 900 calls by mega-ships in 2011.

Last year 7.9 million TEU (20 foot standard containers) crossed Hamburg's quay walls, resulting in a 12.7 percent boost in container throughput. Expressed in tonnes, container throughput totalled 78.4 million tonnes (+ 10.1 percent).

On the import side Hamburg recorded a throughput of 70.4 million tonnes (+ 13.2 percent). Exports via Hamburg at 50.8 million tonnes (+ 5.4 percent) also developed positively in comparison to the previous year.

Asia again retained its top place in 2010 among trade routes for container traffic with the port of Hamburg. In 2010 4.7 million TEU to and from Asia were handled, or around 585,000 TEU (14.1 percent) more than the previous year.

At 80.9 million tonnes, general cargo throughput achieved an increase of 9.9 percent.

Bulk cargoes

Bulk cargo throughput in 2010 reached a total of 40.3 million tonnes (up 9.5 percent). The main growth under this heading was in the form of imports of grab cargoes. Growth in inland steel production, for example, led to a 60.7 percent increase in iron ore imports to 9.3 million tonnes. At 10.3 million tonnes, imports of liquid cargoes were 8 percent higher in 2010. Increases of 9 percent in crude oil imports and of 14.3 percent in mineral oil products were the main factors behind this growth. The figure for suction goods imports at 3.3 million tonnes failed by just 0.8 percent to reach the previous year's level. Imports of wheat reached 632,000 tonnes and were accordingly 33.9 percent higher.

Exports of bulk cargoes in 2010 totalled 10.3 million tonnes, or 9.3 percent below the previous year's above average total. Exports of wheat and also of other suction cargoes remained well below the strong figure attained in 2009. On grab cargoes, exports totalling 3.2 million tons were handled, or 23.5 percent more. At 2.2 million tonnes, this handling sector is dominated by fertilizer exports that were 28.6 percent higher. Exports of liquid cargoes, preponderantly of oil products, totalled 3.8 million tons and were 21.6 percent down on the previous year.

Ship Traffic

An increasing number of particularly large ships are said to be calling at the port of Hamburg. With more than 900 calls by mega-ships in Hamburg expected in 2011, the port has been investing in its infrastructure and IT systems in preparation for growing volumes of seaborne cargoes and goods transported.

Commenting on the planned adjustment of the Lower and Outer Elbe, Senator Karan said: "The upgrading of the navigation channel of the Elbe is accordingly a question of survival for Hamburg; I think we are all aware of that. More than 150,000 jobs depend on the port in Hamburg and the metropolitan region."

Referring to the rise in ship traffic, Jens Meier, Managing Director of Hamburg Port Authority, said: "The efforts made to attract more ship traffic back to Hamburg have paid off. Backed by all players in the port, the transhipment incentive system met with very good acceptance and was in part utilized to the maximum limit. This has contributed to the post-crisis return of the feeder services to Hamburg."

Commenting on the results, Claudia Roller, Chief Executive Officer of Hafen Port of Hamburg Marketing said: "On both general and bulk cargoes, we are delighted at the gratifying result on throughput. With 121 million tons of seaborne cargoes handled, in 2010 the total for the Port of Hamburg was around 11 million tons up on 2009.

"In Hamburg too, in 2009 the worldwide economic and financial crisis led to a steep downturn in seaborne cargo throughput. In 2010 we are not yet again up to the volumes handled that we should like to have. Despite the satisfactory process of catching up in the course of the second half of 2010, we did not quite reach the previous year's level. The available national economic data cause us to reckon on being able to resume the record figures of 2008 again during the first half of 2012," she added.

2011 Forecast

For 2011 Roller expects that the revival of foreign trade in Eastern Europe and Russia combined with further growth in German foreign trade will lead to a positive development in seaborne cargo throughput for the port of Hamburg. In addition, the People's Republic of China, the Port of Hamburg's leading foreign trade partner in the container trades, has again ensured growing cargo flows by sea.

"In 2010 the Port of Hamburg as a virtual hub for the Asia and China trade routes with Northern Europe and the Baltic states was already able to profit from this positive trend and can reckon on overall growth of very nearly 10 percent for 2011," forecast Roller.