The Port of Hamburg has revealed that its container handling remained stable in the first half of 2024, with 3.8 million TEU processed.
During this period, the port handled a total of 55.9 million tonnes of seaborne freight. However, there was a significant increase in both the number of containership calls and the proportion of rail transit in the seaport hinterlands trade.
Despite challenges in the Red Sea region and a modest economic performance in Germany, container handling remained stable.
From January to June 2024, the Port of Hamburg processed 3.8 million TEU, roughly unchanged from the first half of the previous year (-0.3 per cent).
Loaded container volumes increased by 0.5 per cent, hitting 3.4 million TEU.
The handling of conventional general cargo also showed encouraging results, increasing by 4.3 per cent to 585,000 tonnes. Overall, general freight throughput was steady at 39.2 million tonnes (+/- 0.0 per cent).
Total seaborne freight throughput in the first half of the year was 55.9 million tonnes, a 3.9 per cent decrease year-on-year (YoY).
Axel Mattern, CEO of Port of Hamburg Marketing, said: “We can see the trend towards decarbonisation in the bulk cargo figures, reflecting a shift away from fossil fuels towards alternative energy sources. This is particularly noticeable in the 11.8 per cent drop in coal handling over the past six months.”
This decline also affected overall bulk cargo throughput, which decreased by 12.1 per cent to 16.7 million tonnes.
In May, the Port of Hamburg reported an improvement in container throughput, reaching 1.9 million TEU in the first quarter of 2024.
