Port industry: 4.1 percent less throughput in seaports
The weak global economy is reflected in the German seaports with a significant drop in handling volumes. In total, around 136.2 million tons of goods were handled in the ports in the first half of the year, 4.1 percent less than a year ago. These figures were announced by Angela Titzrath, President of the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS), on Wednesday.
There were different developments depending on the type of cargo. In container transport, which is particularly sensitive to the economic situation, handling slumped by 13 percent to 6.3 million 20-foot standard containers. Liquid bulk goods, on the other hand, saw an increase of 28 percent to 22.2 million tons. Titzrath said that this "must be seen primarily against the background of the increasing energy supply via the ports". Following the Russian halt to natural gas deliveries by pipeline, significantly more deliveries are arriving in Germany by ship, especially liquefied natural gas (LNG).
"In passenger traffic, the good figures from the previous year were even slightly exceeded," added Titzrath. Around 11.6 million people embarked and disembarked, which corresponds to an increase of 2.3 percent.
The decrease in seaport throughput might be attributed to the challenging economic situation, impacting various sectors of transportation such as shipping and traffic. Despite this, there's an increase in LNG deliveries at German ports due to the halt in natural gas deliveries by pipeline from Russia.
The reduction in container handling at German seaports is directly linked to the economic downturn, contributing to a 13% drop in 20-foot standard containers. However, the traffic of liquid bulk goods, like LNG, has seen a significant increase due to the shift in energy supply sources.
Source: www.dpa.com
