PORT OF HAMBURG EXPECTS TO TOP 5 MILLION TEUS

PORT OF HAMBURG EXPECTS TO TOP 5 MILLION TEUS    The German port of Hamburg expects to handle more than 5 million TEUs of containers by the end of the year.
   In the first nine months of 2002, container traffic in Hamburg increased 13.1 percent over the year-earlier period.
   Hamburg credits the increase in containers to the port's newly built container terminal, mainland and short-sea connections, truck and barge operations and numerous logistics and distributions services.
   The port expects trade with China to significantly contribute to its container traffic volumes in the coming years.
   'China is the most important trading partner for Hamburg,' said Juergen Sorgenfrei, chairman of Hamburg's Port Marketing Association, n a statement released at the International Intermodal Expo in Anaheim, Calif. this week. 'We have annually in our port some 250 ships from China.'
   The port also reports to have about 300 Chinese companies with subsidiaries or branch offices in and around Hamburg.
   Overall, during the first nine month of 2002 container traffic b3etween the Far East and Hamburg increased 20.8 percent.
   However, container traffic between the port and the U.S. trades declined 12 percent during the first nine months of 2002, compared to the same period last year. Port officials blamed the decline mainly on Evergreen's change in its transatlantic call to Bremerhaven.
Port officials expect container volumes to and from the United States to rebound with the start of the new Tour-de-Monde container service operated by liner carriers P&O Nedlloyd, Contship Containerlines, CMA-CGM, Manfret, Hamburg Sud and Hapag Lloyd.