Seaborne cargo handling at the port of Hamburg in the first half of the year fell by 12 percent year-on-year to 61.2 million tons, the port of Hamburg announced on Friday.
Container handling fell similarly by 12.4 percent to 4.1 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit), according to the operator of Germany's largest universal port Hamburg.
"We are naturally not pleased about this trend, but the drop in first-half throughput caused by the pandemic seriously affected all ports in Northern Europe," said Axel Mattern, Joint CEO of port of Hamburg Marketing.
It was important, however, that the port continued to provide its handling and logistics services without interruption, Mattern said and added that "with its cargo-handling terminals, logistics and service providers, and its hinterland transport services, the port remains fully operational."
Imports saw the biggest volume decline and fell by 16.3 percent to 33.7 million tons. The main reason for the decline was lower steel production which led to lower throughput of ore and coal, according to the port of Hamburg.
Exports only fell by 6.1 percent in the first six months to a total of 27.5 million tons, according to the port of Hamburg. "Considerably higher" exports of grain and fertilizers were the main reason for the very good handling trend in the first half of the year.
Lower seaborne container throughput with China, by far Hamburg's most important trading partner, could not be offset by positive developments in other countries but Mattern already noted an "initial recovery" in trades with China on both the import and export side since July.
"In the past two months a stabilization of vessel sailings has been achieved. With the economy in China and Europe gradually picking up, I am confident that we have meanwhile reached the lowest point of the fall in seaborne cargo throughput caused by the pandemic," said Ingo Egloff, Joint CEO of port of Hamburg Marketing. ■