DOUBLE-DIGIT CONTAINER GROWTH PACES PORT OF HAMBURG IN 2001

DOUBLE-DIGIT CONTAINER GROWTH PACES PORT OF HAMBURG IN 2001    The Port of Hamburg reported an 8.5-percent increase in tonnage for 2001, to 92.4 million tons, paced by a 10.4-percent improvement in container volumes.
   The port, which handled 4.7 million TEUs in 2001, said the increase moved it into eighth place among the world's container ports. The increase marked the largest improvement among European ports and trailed only Singapore in largest volume increases among the world's top 10 ports in 2001. Hamburg also solidified its position as Europe's second-largest container port, behind Rotterdam (6.1 million TEUs in 2001).
   The port's container volumes with Asia, which accounts for nearly half of Hamburg's volume, improved 6.7 percent. China, Hamburg's leading trade partner, accounted for 790,000 TEUs, an increase of 13.5 percent over 2000.
   Container trade with the Americas rose 15.2 percent, compared to 13.9 percent in 2000. For the first time, m ore containers were handled for North America (387,000 TEUs, up 35.6 percent), than for Latin America (325,000 TEUs, up 7 percent). The lower increase in Latin cargoes was due to the economic crisis in Argentina and the devaluation of the Brazilian currency, the port said.
   Trade with U.S. ports improved 64.2 percent to 260,000 TEUs, boosted by new services, including the Grand Alliance's 'butterfly' services introduced in July 2000.
   Container traffic with the Baltic grew 18.7 percent to 959,000 TEUs, with trade to Hamburg's sister port in St. Petersburg improving 79.7 percent to 165,000 TEUs.
   Hamburg said it saw volume increases in conventional and bulk cargoes, in addition to containers.
   The port anticipates container traffic will improve in 2002, fueled by continued growth in Chinese trade and Hamburg's favorable location at the intersection of the North Sea and the Baltic.