Hamburg bulks show mixed trends

(Posted on 20/11/24)

Throughput of bulk cargo at the Port of Hamburg has experienced a slight recovery over the course of the year. It stood at 24.9 million tonnes (-9.3 percent) after the first nine months. The decline had been 12.1 percent at the halfway point in the year. The drop in coal throughput resulting from the shutdown of some power plants remained a noticeable factor. Throughput of grab cargo amounted to 13.5 million tonnes overall (-7.7 percent).

For suction cargo or agribulk, with a throughput of 4.8 million tonnes (-4.1 percent), the export of animal feed stood out positively with 1.0 million tonnes and an increase of 7.8 percent. Imports of oilseeds also improved by 2.8 percent to 2.3 million tonnes. Liquid cargo throughput dropped by 15.6 percent to 6.6 million tonnes, despite a 34.6 percent surge in petroleum product exports, which reached 1.3 million tonnes.

At 5.8 million TEU, container throughput at the Port of Hamburg remained at almost the same level year-on-year during the first nine months of 2024. Throughput of loaded containers saw slight growth, alongside an increase in general cargo. “Rail forwarding, a cornerstone of sustainable transport, also developed positively in the first nine months. As Europe’s largest rail port, we attach great importance to the expansion of rail transport. Container transport in this segment rose by 2.7 percent and the Port of Hamburg also gained ground in terms of total rail tonnage”, says Axel Mattern, Member of the Executive Board of Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM).

However, the weak German economy continues to impact total throughput at the port. The tense political circumstances with the war in Ukraine and the attacks by Houthi militias in the Red Sea merely exacerbate this situation. Total seaborne cargo throughput fell by 3.0 percent and stood at 84.0 million tonnes in the period from January to September 2024.

The conventional general cargo segment again offered a silver lining. With its considerable potential for value-added, this segment grew by 3.7 percent to 904,000 tonnes.

Ship calls with capacity for container cargo in the Port of Hamburg were up 0.3 percent year-on-year in the first three quarters of 2024. Moderate and small vessel sizes experienced a positive development here.