Port of Hamburg reaches 5.8 million TEU in the first nine months of the year
The Port of Hamburg maintained stable container throughput in the first nine months of 2024, with growth in general cargo and rail, despite economic and geopolitical challenges.
Port of Hamburg, Germany
Container throughput at the Port of Hamburg reached 5.8 million TEU in the first nine months of 2024, remaining at roughly the same level as the previous year.
A slight increase was recorded in the handling of loaded containers, along with growth in overall cargo.
“Rail forwarding, a cornerstone of sustainable transport, also showed positive development during this period. As Europe’s largest rail port, we attach great importance to the expansion of rail transport. Container transport in this segment rose by 2.7% and the Port of Hamburg also gained ground in terms of total rail tonnage,” said Axel Mattern, Member of the Executive Board of Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM).
Despite these achievements, Germany's weak economic performance continues to weigh on the port's overall throughput. The challenging political context, including the ongoing war in Ukraine and recent Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, has exacerbated these difficulties. As a result, total seaborne cargo volumes fell by 3% to 84 million tonnes between January and September 2024.
Full container throughput at the Port of Hamburg reached 5.1 million TEU in the first nine months of 2024, a slight increase of 0.2% compared to the same period last year. In contrast, empty container throughput decreased significantly, down 4.6% to 722,000 TEU.
Total container throughput reached 5.8 million TEU, down slightly by 0.4%. In terms of tonnage, container throughput totaled 58.2 million tonnes, down 0.1% year-on-year.
The temporary diversion of ships around the Cape of Good Hope has led to an increased use of western ports as transshipment hubs for Asia-Mediterranean trade. However, Hamburg has not benefited from this shift in container traffic.
On the brighter side, the general cargo segment showed significant growth, up 3.7% to 904,000 tonnes. This segment, known for its potential for value-added, continues to be a bright spot for the overall performance of the German port.
In addition, China remains the Port of Hamburg's strongest trading partner from January to September 2024, with throughput of 1.6 million TEU. Trade with the United States, the port’s second-largest partner, also grew, up 7.6% to 520,000 TEUs. Brazil recorded a 2.6% increase, reaching 124,000 TEUs, while Mexico increased by 3.5% to 81,000 TEUs, highlighting another positive trend.
In addition, seaborne trade with Poland, the fourth-largest partner, grew by a significant 16%, to 232,000 TEUs. Malaysia, ranked ninth, showed the most significant increase, with a 29.8% increase to 144,000 TEUs.
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Source: Phaata.com (via ContainerNews)
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