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After the previous year's downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Port of Hamburg announced that in 2021, the seaborne cargo throughput trend was "more positive than expected."
In a statement, it said throughput totalled 128.7 million tons, or nearly 2% more than in the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. At 8.7 million TEU - 20-ft standard containers, container handling was also up by 2.2%.
Record rail freight seen
The port noted that rail freight transport in 2021 reached a record level. Last year, the Port of Hamburg Railway handled a transport volume of 48.5 million tons, up by 4% while at 2.79 million TEU, an 8% rise was seen for containers.
"Hamburg is impressively extending its position as the world's largest rail port. Despite persistent challenges caused by the pandemic and disrupted transport chains, a new record figure was achieved for environment-friendly freight transport by rail," said Ingo Egloff, Joint CEO of HHM – Port of Hamburg Marketing.
The port noted that rail growth was powered by additional container train services and growing shipments in the medium-distance segment of up to 300 kilometres.
Rail’s modal-split share of container transport in Hamburg has meanwhile reached around 51.5%.
It said transfer of freight shipments to rail there has been exemplary.
This frees up roads and conserves the environment. At 46.1%, trucking's share is declining.
For container transport to and from the Port of Hamburg, inland waterway shipping attained a share of 2.4%.
Rapid growth of container shipments
Port of Hamburg said supplementing sea transport, a constantly growing number of containers are being transported between China and Hamburg by rail with Hamburg as Germany's leading point of arrival and departure for seaborne container shipments and container train services on the New Silk Road.
"Even if around 20 days are currently needed for rail transport over the 12,000 kilometres between China and Hamburg, the land route via the New Silk Road is faster than a ship by sea. For time-sensitive freight, the container train services therefore provide an attractive alternative for transport between Hamburg and China," said Axel Mattern, HHM’s Joint CEO.
Mattern noted that in 2021, around 160,000 TEU were shifted by rail between Hamburg and more than 25 destinations in China, showing a 51% increase.
Various suppliers market a total of more than 290 China train services to and from Hamburg.
In 2021, the worldwide repercussions of the corona pandemic again affected handling and transport trends in Germany’s largest universal port.
Over the whole year, 128.7 million tons of seaborne cargoes were loaded or discharged at Port of Hamburg terminals, a 1.9% increase on the previous year. Both general cargo throughput, up by 1.3% at 88.9 million tons, and bulk cargo handling, 3.3% higher at 39.8 million tons, contributed.
In the container handling segment, 2021 throughput in Hamburg totalled 8.7 million TEU and was 2.2% higher, the port added.
The port said China, the US and Singapore head the ranking of Hamburg's top trading partnssr for container handling.
Drag from Russia-Ukraine conflict
Meanwhile, the port noted that the current military conflict involving Russia and Ukraine will drag volume development at the German gateway — although it is too early to tell the extent of the impact.
"The war in Ukraine will have an impact on the throughput development of the Port of Hamburg," Mattern said. "However, it is not yet possible to say to what extent the sanctions imposed on Russia will influence cargo handling"
"A realistic forecast for the current year cannot be made at this point in time because the pandemic could also continue to have an impact on global trade. For 2022, the Port of Hamburg's marketing organisation hopes for an overall stable trend in seaborne cargo handling."
