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SCMP Reporter

THE Port of Hamburg has set a record for cargo turnover with a surge in the first quarter of this year.

  A total of 17.7 million tonnes was handled in the port, 6.3 per cent up on the same period last year.

  Bulk cargo turnover was 5.3 per cent up and general cargo 7.3 per cent higher than last year.

  The growth in general cargo turnover has been constant - 7.1 per cent higher in 1993, 8.4 per cent up last year.

  In the first three months of this year there also was impressive growth in container turnover (7.1 per cent) and conventional general cargo and roll-on/roll-off turnover (7.8 per cent).

  The collapse of steel exports from eastern Germany - a result of the restructuring of east Germany's state-run steel industry - and the reduction in the size of the state-owned merchant fleets of the former GDR, Poland and Soviet Union, led to a dramatic drop in conventional traffic through Hamburg.

  But as soon as Eastern European economies began to open up after the fall of the Iron Curtain, Hamburg firms started re-establishing contact with cities in Eastern Europe, which once contributed more than half the Port of Hamburg's total cargo turnover.

  Now there are increasing signs that these cities' economic downturn is coming to an end.

  As the 1994 results showed, there was growth not only in incoming traffic, especially of citrus and tropical fruits, but also in Eastern European exports via Hamburg of forestry products, iron and steel, and chemical goods.

  In all, transit traffic via the Port of Hamburg increased by 10.7 per cent, and general cargo by 12.7 per cent.

  More than a third of traffic is accounted for by Scandinavia where transit traffic rose by 10.2 per cent.

  Benefiting from the depreciation of its currency, Sweden was able to increase its exports via Hamburg to become the port's most important transit partner, edging ahead of Finland.

  But the largest increases were in transit traffic with Eastern Europe.

  General-cargo passing through Hamburg was 21 per cent up on the previous year's total.

  The highest growth rates were recorded by countries enjoying regular block-train connections with the German city.

  Poland's transit traffic rose by 20 per cent to reach sixth position in the Port of Hamburg's 'transit league'.

  In the 1980s, Poland traditionally was ranked only in 10th to 13th place.



Hamburg sees cargo turnover hit record high