Axel Mattern, CEO of Hafen Hamburg Marketing e.V. (HHM), emphasizes: "The difficult economic situation is reflected in the current handling figures for all ports in the North Range. Hamburg is in the midfield of its competitors here. When comparing the quarterly results for the current and last year, it should be noted that Russia was still the Port of Hamburg's fourth-largest trading partner at the beginning of last year. Following the war of aggression against Ukraine, sanctions came into force, which are reflected in this comparison - cargo volumes to and from Russia are now missing from the overall picture. Added to this was the temporarily unstable economic situation in China due to the pandemic, which has continued into the current year. Both of these factors are having an impact on the Port of Hamburg." In addition to developments in the European and global economy, local strike events also had an impact on the Port of Hamburg's results.

Positive developments in North American traffic and bulk handling

Traffic with the USA (152,000 TEU, an increase of 9.5 percent compared to the same period last year) continues to have a positive impact on maritime container traffic via the Port of Hamburg. The United States thus continues to rank second after China in the list of the Port of Hamburg's largest trading partners. Trade with Canada also continues to show very robust growth, with an increase of 31.7 percent year-on-year to 52,000 TEU.

Bulk cargo handling in Hamburg also showed a positive trend, improving by 5.4 percent compared to the same period last year and recording a quarterly result of 9.3 million tons. The liquid cargo segment performed best with an increase of 12.3 percent. Here, 27.4 percent more mineral oil products were imported. The port is thus making a contribution to energy supply security by being able to import and transport energy sources required at short notice thanks to its existing handling capacities. The agribulk sector also grew. More exports of grain and animal feed as well as increased imports of oilseed crops led to an 11.8 percent rise in volumes to 1.8 million tons. Handling of grab goods remained almost unchanged compared to the first quarter of the previous year.

More Megamax ships in Hamburg and continuity in rail services

The trend towards larger container ships calling at the Port of Hamburg continues, with 67 calls (up 17.5 percent on the same period last year) by container ships in the so-called Megamax class with capacities of over 18,000 TEU. "Many new orders from shipping companies are now getting underway. This was also demonstrated by the first call of the 'OOCL Spain' with a capacity of 24,188 TEU in Hamburg. This sustained trend shows the urgent need to create the necessary water depths in order to be able to lift the temporary restriction on depths on the Tidal Elbe," says Mattern.

In the first quarter, 11.6 million tons (down 3.4% year-on-year) of cargo were exchanged with inland destinations by rail. Due to the decline in container handling on the seaborne side, fewer containers were transported onwards by rail (635,000 TEU, down 10.1% compared to the same period last year). Wagonload traffic, on the other hand, remained stable.

The port's hinterland connections and intermodality are proving to be important factors for the location's resilience and adaptability. "The first quarter was particularly difficult for container traffic. Some shipping companies suspended calls, and in March several strikes briefly affected port operations. These factors made it difficult for rail transport companies to fill their trains to capacity," says Mattern.

The Port of Hamburg's handling figures are expected to recover over the rest of the year. "Statistically, we had an extreme base effect in the first three months, as the economic conditions in the first quarters of 2022 and 2023 are very different. The multiple crises led to disrupted supply chains and weak economic growth. This had an impact on throughput," explains HHM CEO Mattern.

from materialfluss 6/2023