The Port of Hamburg was successful in two of the 39 categories at the 29th Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain Awards (AFLAS), handed out in Hong Kong on 24 June.
Germany’s largest seaport was elected ‘Best Seaport – Europe 2015’ by readers of the trade journal ‘Asia Cargo News’, beating off competition from the ports of Rotterdam and Le Havre. Nominees were judged on steady service quality, innovations, customer management and reliability, while the three finalists were subsequently evaluated on whether they are able to provide sufficient infrastructure for handling container services, offer a fees system embodying appropriate competition and costs and are making suitable and timely investment in infrastructural measures to enable them to meet future market challenges.
“We are delighted about this award,' said Axel Mattern, CEO of Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM). 'The result shows that despite currently still restricted access conditions, the Port of Hamburg with its variety of services and handling quality is still highly rated by companies in the Asian import and export industry. Innovative traffic control schemes of the kind being introduced as part of the Hamburg Port Authority’s smartPORT logistics concept also prove that the Port of Hamburg is far-sightedly adjusting to future market demands.”
A second prize, from a Hamburg point of view, was awarded to Eurogate Container Terminal Hamburg, received the title of ‘Best Container Terminal Europe 2015’.
For the Port of Hamburg, Asia is its most important market region. With 5.2m TEUs, up 7.9 per cent, in 2014 it was the Asian trade that mainly powered growth for the port on the Elbe.
