International trading centre

Ever since the port was established more than 1000 years ago, Hamburg has constantly evolved its famous liberality, tolerance and hospitality. When the aspiring trading town joined the mercantile Hanseatic League in the 14th century and became the economic centre of the entire North Sea and Baltic region, Hamburg began to establish itself as a global player and truly cosmopolitan city.

Strong player in domestic and foreign trade

Foreign trade amounts to more than €1,000 billion. With in excess of 36,000 commercial companies and more than 125,000 employees, Hamburg is Germany’s largest trading centre, the biggest centre for ship financing worldwide and one of the most important hubs for trade with China and the Baltic region.

In addition, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg boasts the second largest number of shipping companies in Europe. Nearly three quarters of all time-charter contracts for container ships worldwide and a quarter of global container ship capacity are managed by shipping companies in the region.

Hamburg is just as important a location when it comes to wholesale and retail trade. Around 20,000 Hamburg companies are engaged in retail and over 10,800 in wholesale and foreign trade, while more than 3,900 companies are active as commercial agents. Almost 960 companies run mail-order operations – a growing trend. Many international commercial enterprises have their company headquarters in Hamburg.

China expertise

Hamburg has a tradition of doing business with Asia and is the European centre for trade with China (ranked sixth globally), with 400 Chinese companies based in the city and an annual growth rate of more than 20 per cent. Hamburg has a large Chinese community and a network of China-related associations, institutions and companies.

But Hamburg is also home to around 100 companies from Japan, 50 from Taiwan and 40 from Hong Kong.

 

The Port of Hamburg as a cargo handling centre

With its good transport links and location between the North Sea and the Baltic, the Hamburg metropolitan region has been able to capitalise on the Port of Hamburg to become the central trading hub for northern and eastern Europe, Asia, North and South America and Africa.

• The Port of Hamburg is the second largest in Europe – after Rotterdam – and the eighth largest in the world.
• The Port of Hamburg is home to the world’s most modern container terminal.
• In the world top 10 for container handling, and the transport volume is increasing.
• 9.7 million standard containers in 2008; container throughput set to double by 2015; throughput in the Port of Hamburg to increase almost threefold by 2025.
• More than 100 million tonnes seaborne cargo throughput per year.
• More than 300 berths over a quay length of 50 km.
• Accessible around the clock for the biggest vessels.
• Universal port for all types of cargo: containers, breakbulk cargo and also hazardous goods.
• Europe’s most modern port logistics centre for global trade.
• Range of services to cover the whole transport chain: loading and unloading, packing, refining, processing, storage, intelligent distribution.
• Complete turnaround of a container vessel in just one day.
• Around a thousand years of experience.

 

Impressive transport infrastructure

The Hamburg metropolitan region has excellent market links by road, rail and air, giving access to more than 400 million consumers in Europe alone. A huge hinterland has opened up to the east since the political liberalization of the former Eastern Bloc.

The Hamburg metropolitan region is an ideal gateway for the worldwide distribution of goods of all kinds and quantities. Any kind of shipment can be organized and handled from here. A total of 170,000 people employed in logistics contribute to the success of the sector – 320,000 if the whole of the metropolitan region is taken into account.

Roads: A dense network of roads and motorways enables fast, just-in-time distribution everywhere in Europe.

Rail: Europe’s biggest railway marshalling yard is in Hamburg-Maschen, making Hamburg the most important railway junction in Northern Europe.

Air: Around 200 flights a day leave Hamburg Airport for European cities, New York and Dubai – daily and non-stop. From Dubai, passengers can fly onwards to almost all destinations in Asia.