Container throughput at the Port of Hamburg in the first half of 2024 remained stable, with 3.8 million TEUs handled and 55.9 million tonnes of seaport cargo handled, almost the same as in the first half of last year (down 0.3%).

In the first half of the year, 55.9 million tons of seaborne cargo passed through the Hamburg General Port. It was down 3.9 percent from the same period last year.

Despite the difficult situation in the Red Sea and the mediocre performance of the German economy, container throughput remains stable. This is in line with the development trend of ship transfer and land transport.

During this period, cargo container throughput increased by 0.5% to 3.4 million TEUs, showing a positive development trend. The throughput of conventional general cargo also achieved positive growth of 4.3% to 585,000 tons. As a result, total cargo throughput was stable at 39.2 million tonnes (±0.0%).

As can be seen from the volume of bulk cargo, the energy transition is progressing, especially the continuous decline in coal traffic, which has also led to a decrease in the volume of bulk cargo handled by the Port of Hamburg. The number of port calls of container ships and the share of rail freight in hinterland traffic showed positive growth.

Axel Mattern, Executive Director of Marketing at the Port of Hamburg, said: "From bulk volumes, we see a trend towards decarbonisation and a shift from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources. Coal throughput, in particular, declined by 11.8 percent over the past six months."

Among the top 10 trading partners, Malaysia was the standout performer in the first six months of the year, with cargo volume up 14.7% to 88,000 TEUs, ranking tenth. Us trade also continued its upward trend, with 341,000 TEUS processed, an increase of 9%, cementing the US position as Hamburg's second largest trading partner. China maintained its lead with 1.1 million TEUs (-2.2%). Turkey continued the positive trend of the past four years, growing 26.7% compared to the same period last year. The country now ranks 12th in Hamburg in terms of trade volume, up six places from the first half of 2024.

In the first half of 2024, the total number of container ship stops increased, increasing by about 1%. This is mainly attributable to medium and small vessels. The number of large container ships with more than 10,000 TEUS docked decreased compared to the same period last year. This stems from the crisis in the Red Sea caused by Houthi attacks. Since then, shipping companies have opted for longer routes around the Cape of Good Hope, putting pressure on all European ports. Shipping to and from Asia has been extended by 15 days. Shipping companies have adjusted their liner services accordingly. Fortunately, the Port of Hamburg has recently opened a number of additional liner routes.

More and more shippers are choosing rail as a sustainable mode of transport for hinterland transport, further consolidating the dominant position of rail in the operation of the hinterland of Hamburg Harbour. Despite the challenges of line closures and a large number of construction works, the share of rail transport TEUs rose to 50.8% in the first half, with throughput reaching 1.3 million TEUs, an increase of 3.1%. In terms of tonnage, the share of rail transport increased by 1.2% to 23.4 million tons.