WIESBADEN/HAMBURG (dpa-AFX) - The consequences of the global crises and the weak economy left their mark on German seaports last year. Their cargo throughput fell by 4.1 per cent to 267.8 million tons in 2023, as the Federal Statistical Office announced in Wiesbaden on Monday. This is a consequence of the decline in German foreign trade, which recorded a drop of 2.0 percent in goods exports and 10.1 percent in goods imports last year. The decline affected all major seaports to varying degrees. One exception is the largest Baltic Sea port of Rostock, which, according to the statisticians, benefited in particular from a sharp increase in the handling of crude oil.

For the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS), the development is also proof that the ports' infrastructure urgently needs to be expanded. The port industry and coastal states have long been calling for at least a tenfold increase in federal subsidies to the states, which currently receive just under 40 million euros from Berlin.

"Massive investments in the seaports and their connections to the economic areas throughout Germany and neighboring European countries are needed to ensure that the German seaports can once again record growth figures in goods handling in the coming years," said ZDS President Angela Titzrath in a statement. Neighbouring countries are positioning their ports accordingly, but in Germany there has "apparently been a lack of political will to tackle the necessary measures and back them up with sufficient financial resources and good regulatory policy", criticized Titzrath. "We hope that the national port strategy, which is to be published in the coming days, will show the way."

The two most important partner countries in maritime trade overall in 2023 were the USA with a cargo throughput of 27.9 million tons and Norway (25.1 million tons). "Sweden replaced the Russian Federation as the most important partner country in 2022 and was in third place in 2023 with 23.0 million tons of goods handled, followed by China in fourth place with 20.1 million tons," it said. "The increased deliveries of fossil fuels by the USA as a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine contributed to the shifts in the ranking of the most important partner countries." German seaports received a total of 38.0 million tons of coal, crude oil and natural gas from abroad in 2023, 5.3% more than in 2022, with the receipt of coal declining significantly.

At 12.7 million 20-foot standard containers (TEU), container throughput at German seaports in 2023 was 8.5% below the previous year's figure, according to the figures. "This was the second consecutive decline in container throughput. The pre-crisis level of 15.0 million TEU in 2019 has therefore not yet been reached again."/kf/DP/stw