Port of Hamburg at a glance: Facts and figures

The 7^th of May 1189, when Kaiser Friedrich Barbarossa granted Hamburg's trading community the privilege to conduct their water bound business in a customs-free zone, is considered the Port of Hamburg's official birth date. It also effectively laid the foundation for Hamburg's relative independence as a city state and for the prosperity of its residents.

The Port of Hamburg is a universal port which means that it does not focus solely on the container business, as many might believe, but caters for all types of shipments. The non-containerised segment is particularly labour-intensive, making it an important part of the port's ongoing development.

Today the Port of Hamburg ranks as Germany's largest port and Europe's second-largest container port. To exemplify this in figures: in 1990 the port's trade volume was 61 million tonnes. By 2016, its trade volume had more than doubled, to 138.2 million tonnes.

The container handling developed particularly well until the year 2008. This is best illustrated by the annual growth statistics: Between 2000 and 2008, the Port recorded average annual growth of 10.7 per cent. 2007 was the best year ever regarding container handling - some 9.9 million TEU (twenty feet equivalent units) passed through the port. Although we currently cannot yet see the dynamics of the last years, the port of Hamburg can expect a successful future in the long run. This is especially due to the favourable location, the diversity of services and the overall good competitive situation of the port. In 2016, Hamburg was ranked the 3rd-largest container port in Europe.

The official forecast of the Federal Republic of Germany of 2014 (Seeverkehrsprognose) forecasts a container turnover of 16.4 million TEU in 2030. Therefore, the further development of container turnover is still creating a number of challenges, particularly with regard to the local infrastructure and the logistic links to the hinterland of continental Europe.

The Port of Hamburg is northern Europe's most important transport hub. A vital part of Germany's and wider European import/export business, the port has consistently built its position as a major water-based interface for intercontinental trade flows. This applies, in particular, to cargo transports to and from the Far East, Eastern European countries and the Baltic Sea states.

The lion's share of the Port of Hamburg's transhipment volume either arrives from or is destined for Asia. For instance China, which already ranks well ahead of Singapore as Hamburg's No. 1 trading partner in the container segment, stands for almost a third of Hamburg’s trade volume (about 2.6 million tonnes).

Ultimately, the Port of Hamburg's success is rooted in the excellent services and facilities it provides for its clientele of shipping companies, as well as its proximity to many of Europe's key markets and industrial centres. For instance, its Altenwerder container terminal (CTA) is unrivalled in Europe in terms of its productivity and logistical infrastructure. The port's reliable services and excellent transport links to the hinterland of continental Europe give it a decisive advantage over its northern European rivals, namely the ports of Antwerp, Bremen, Rotterdam, Wilhelmshaven and Zeebrügge.

However, the Port of Hamburg's forecast growth in transhipment volumes and logistics jobs can only be realised if visiting vessels can continue to be loaded and unloaded within a reasonable time-frame. This means, for instance, that the Elbe River shipping channel will need to be further developed in coming years to cater for the ever-increasing traffic volumes, as well as for the new generation of container ships. Further investments will also have to be made in the Port's own land-based infrastructure as well as in its transport links to the continental European hinterland.