In Germany, the Port of Hamburg has announced that it recorded a total seaborne cargo throughput of 132.2m tonnes for the full-year of 2011, an increase of 9.1 per cent on the previous year.
Container throughput for the 12-month period came in at 9m 20ft standard containers (TEUs), some 1.12m TEU more than in 2010 and the fastest absolute growth in container throughput of any in the North European range.
'We are delighted that in 2011 the Port of Hamburg proved able to achieve above-average growth both in total throughput and in container traffic,' said Claudia Roller, CEO of Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM), at the Port's annual press conference. 'With the strongest absolute growth in container throughput, Hamburg regained market shares of approximately 1.3 percentage points as against its competing ports.'
And this positive growth shows no sign of abating in 2012, Roller noted, with growth also forecast for the coming 12 months.
'For 2012 we are also reckoning with an increase in throughput figures, although this will slow down compared to 2011, meaning that by year-end we should have achieved a moderate increase in seaborne cargo,' she said. 'With its existing capacities, well developed infrastructure and highly efficient port service providers, some of whom have recently won international awards, Hamburg is very well equipped to handle growing cargo volumes with its customary reliability, speed and high quality.'
