Hamburg Volume Falls 21.7 Percent

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Friday, 22 May 2009 04:29

After seven months of decline, some signs of recovery emerge

Volume at the Port of Hamburg fell 21.7 percent in the first quarter, rounding out seven consecutive months of declining freight. But a glimmer of hope came with growth in heavy lift cargo and grain shipments.

The total volume of goods handled in the first quarter of 2009 came to 27.32 million tons. Imports were down 22.6 percent at 15.75 million tons. Exports fell 20.4 percent to 11.57 million tons.

The handling of general cargo, which predominates in Hamburg, was worse affected by the global economic stagnation than the handling of bulk goods. The volume of general cargo fell 26.2 percent to 18.45 million tons. Bulk goods declined 10.3 percent to 8.87 million tons.

The Port of Hamburg handled 1.86 million standard 20 foot containers in the first quarter, down 24.3 percent compared with the first quarter of 2008.

China is by far the Port of Hamburg's largest trade partner, and Hamburg is the biggest European port for trade with China. One in three containers in Hamburg either comes from or is going to China. In comparison with the
first quarter of 2008, Chinese foreign trade with Europe declined in the months of January and February by 20.2 percent and in the month of March by 19.3 percent.

Nevertheless, there have been some signs of returning business. "Since the beginning of the year the transport of general cargo in Hamburg has begun once again to show a rising tendency, and the same has been true of bulk goods as well since March," said Marketing Chairman Claudia Roller. "We have received confirmation of these positive signals from our customers and
partners in the German industry, at port receptions in Vienna and Neuss/Düsseldorf as well as at the most recent transport trade fairs,
TransRussia in Moscow and transport logistic in Munich."

Project cargo and heavy lift cargo came to 59,000 tons of import in the first quarter of 2009, an increase of 33.2 percent as compared with the previous year's period. Shipments of grain came to a total of 774,000 tons,
an increase of 121 percent, Roller said.

Roller also said she is convinced that forecasts of a six percent decline in the German Gross National Product in 2009 will turn out to be unduly pessimistic. Pointing to the programs for economic recovery in place all over the world, she anticipates a significant rising tendency in global trade as early as the second half of this year.

Source : JOC 19/5/09