In the port fee adjustment effective from 1 January 2012 the HPA wants to take account of some of the general cost increases of the past three years. Due to the economic crisis, the HPA has not increased port fees since 2009 and even lowered some port fee tariffs by up to ten per cent in 2010. Now, port fees are to go up by 3.5 per cent - an adjustment that is still below the inflation rate since 2009. The move follows other North European ports that also adjusted their fees based on inflation levels. As Hamburg already introduced an environmental discount in the summer of 2011, the average overall increase in port fees is lower now.
In addition, the HPA will change the structure of the schedule of port fees and charges in 2012 and introduce digital data collection to calculate port fees. From the summer onwards, ships’ handling volumes will play a role in the calculation of port fees. At the same time Hamburg will be one of the first ports worldwide to implement an electronic port fee declaration submission procedure.
“Hamburg has recaptured market share since 2010. Our tariff policy is such that we stay below the average inflation rate of the past years. Our aim is to continue the upward trend of the past two years,” says Tino Klemm, head of the HPA’s real property and financial services division and member of the HPA management board.
Handling Volumes to Play a Role in Port Fees
In the summer next year, the HPA will introduce a handling component for the first time. Until now, port fees have been calculated based solely on the size of a ship. The new handling component will significantly reduce the port fee ships with lower handling volumes have to pay. The HPA’s decision follows the request made by shipping companies and ship brokers during the last economic crisis to place more emphasis on handling volumes. A group of experts discussed the details of such a tariff component in the past months and port users now have six months to get familiar with the new calculation structure.
“We will all benefit from the change. In boom times the income of the port will increase and in crisis times, the port’s customers will save money because of lower port fees,” explains Klemm.
Electronic Port Fee Declaration
Also in the summer of 2012, the HPA will introduce an electronic port fee declaration. It will then be possible to electronically transmit to the HPA the required declaration directly from already existing digital shipping company databases or the database of DAKOSY, the port’s communication system. The new procedure will save both port users and the HPA time and costs. When it comes to interlinking the port digitally, Hamburg has taken on a leading role and is now one of the first ports in the world to offer this new service.
Environmental Component Well Accepted
Six months after introducing the environmental discount on port fees, the HPA is drawing a positive balance. The data of more than 500 ships have been entered in the relevant database and rebates have been granted for several dozen ship calls in Hamburg. For the months to come, the HPA expects this figure and the number of ocean-going vessels eligible for an environmental discount on port fees to rise. Simultaneously, the HPA is actively involved in further developing the ESI (Environmental Ship Index) - an international standard that allows the comparison of emissions by ships.
Port Fees and Charges
Port fees and charges are one of the Hamburg Por
