In the first half of 2018 the Port of Hamburg achieved total throughput of 66.5m tonnes, representing a moderate downturn of 4.9 per cent.
General cargo throughput stood at 45.5m tonnes, down 2.2 per cent, with bulk cargo throughput of 21.1m tonnes, a drop of 10.4 per cent.
Container throughput for the period came in at 4.3m TEUs, 2.7 percent lower than in the previous year, with the handling of fewer empty boxes the cause of 81 percent of the fall.
On the positive side, railborne container transport achieved a distinct advance, with total handling 5.4 per cent ahead at 1.2m TEUs.
“A glance at the throughput trend for loaded and empty containers in the first six months shows that the Port of Hamburg handled less transhipment cargo and empty boxes,' said Axel Mattern, joint CEO of Port of Hamburg Marketing. 'Its share of loaded containers remained stable in a tough competitive field, while Hamburg’s significance as Europe’s leading rail port was underlined by distinct growth in railborne container transport.
“Against the background of the still outstanding adjustment of the fairway on the Lower and Outer Elbe, it is understandable that shipping companies should utilise slot capacities on mega-containerships calling at Hamburg primarily for loaded boxes,' he added. 'Unlike cargo bound for the local region and loaded boxes, transhipment cargo and empty containers are less tied to specific ports. We therefore hope that planning permission will be granted before the end of the year, and the fairway adjustment finally implemented after a wait of 17 years.”
Almost 64 per cent of the downturn in container throughput in the first half of 2018 was attributable to lower transhipment throughput, primarily on feeder services in the Baltic, the port added.
Container volume on the principal sea trade route between Hamburg and East Asia rose by one per cent to 1.6m TEUs, and the sea trades where container services performed much better than in the same period of the previous year were the East Coast of South America, the West Coast of North America, and North Africa.
