In the first three months of 2011 the Port of Hamburg achieved above-average growth of 18.2 percent in container throughput and a 9.8 percent gain in total seaborne cargo throughput. Whereas the Western ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp reported increases in container throughput for the same period of 2011 of 10.1 and 7.9 percent, respectively, with throughput of 2.1 million TEU growth for the Port of Hamburg reached 18.2 percent. Hamburg accordingly regained market shares and extended its position as the Northern European hub for container traffic. 


On May 18th, the Port of Hamburg Marketing, the port’s marketing organization, published throughput figures for the Port of Hamburg in the first quarter of 2011. Total seaborne cargo throughput in Germany‘s largest universal port reached 31.4 million tons (+ 9.8 percent).

General cargo throughput at 21.4 million tons developed very well, being 15 percent higher than in the first quarter of 2010. This growth was primarily led by the excellent import and export showing on container throughput.

Bulk cargo throughput at 9.9 million tons in the first quarter of 2011 was just ahead (+ 0.1 percent) of the previous year’s total. At 4.7 million tons, grab cargo throughput for the first quarter was 3.2 percent down on the previous year. Rising coal imports, which at 1.5 million tons were up by 18.1 percent, failed to offset the 21.6 percent downturn in ore imports (1.8 million tons). Sustained especially by crude oil imports during the first quarter of 2011, throughput of liquid cargoes reached 3.6 million tons, representing a gain of 3.7 percent. The third bulk cargo consists of suction goods, with throughput in the first quarter of 2011 up by 2 percent at 1.6 million tons. Totalling 791,000 tons, imports of oil-bearing fruits were of the order of 18 percent higher,  attaining the best-ever quarterly figure for the Port of Hamburg.  At 143,000 tons, wheat imports also developed extraordinarily well, being ahead by 38.9 percent in the first quarter.

Non-containerized general cargoes at 562,000 tons failed by 4.6 percent to reach the previous year’s total. This was partly caused by lower imports of citrus fruits, which at 122,000 tons were down by 18.6 percent. Increased exports of vehicles, with 22.9 percent growth to 110,000 tons, and a doubling of vehicle imports to 22,000 tons, failed to compensate for this in the first quarter.

“We are delighted by this excellent throughput figure for the Port of Hamburg and see the main reasons behind above-average growth in container throughput as being the unusually strong increase on the container trade routes to and from Asia as well as the Baltic region. In the first three months of 2011, 1.3 million TEU (+ 15.7 percent) were handled in seaborne container traffic with Asia. This especially important region of our market therefore accounted for 56 percent of total growth in container throughput for the first three months of 2011,” explained Claudia Roller, CEO of Port of Hamburg Marketing. Altogether five new liner services, plus a further five with capacities topped up, to America, Asia and in the European trade produced substantial growth in container traffic for Hamburg. On container throughput with the Baltic region and with Asia, led by China, the Port of Hamburg is one of the leading seaports in Northern Europe.

As a leading foreign trade hub, Hamburg handles large volumes of goods in foreign trade to and from overseas in what are known as transhipment trades by feedership to/from neighbouring countries in Europe and especially the Baltic region. Along with Finland, Russia is the most important market region in the Baltic area. With around 154 sailings per week, Hamburg continues to offer the densest network of feeder connections in Northern Europe with the entire Baltic region. “Hamburg is the leading feeder port for the Baltic region and managed to extend this position in the first quarter of 2011,” said Claudia Roller. Hamburg