Page 34 - Hafen Hamburg | Port of Hamburg Magazine 2.2023

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GLOBAL CHANCES PORT OF HAMBURG MAGAZINE 2/23
tween three and four days. If required, conventional shjipments are transported by a general cargo ship- ping company’s multi-purpose vessels.
Kimmo Naski, CEO of Finland’s large universal port, is somebody else who underlines how significant the Port of Hamburg is for Hamina-Kotka, where total traffic in 2022 was 11.7 percent up on the previous year. “A large part of our container-feeder transport runs through the Port of Hamburg.” Naski is also op- timistic for 2023: Despite strikes for two longer peri- ods this year, growth after January-April totalled 11,4 percent. All the same: “At the moment it doesn’t look as if the Finnish export industry is going with such a swing as at the start of the year.” That makes any forecast to the end of the year difficult.
Here too, repercussions on trade with Russia are natu- rally strong: “As good as no trade exists between the two countries any longer, reports the CEO. “Of Russian transit traffic via our ports, only fertilizers remain, these belonging in the foodstuffs category. Finnish compa- nies, moreover, previously imported many goods from Russia. “These were transported across the border by train or by truck” Since this no longer possible such
goods, especially timber, are now imported from other countries, now arriving in the port by ship.
CLOSE COOPERATION WITH LITHUANIA
In addition, Lithuania is an important partner for the Port of Hamburg for maritime and land transport ser- vices. There are currently eight container-liner ser- vices with Lithuania, all calling the Port of Klaipeda. Containerships with slot capacities of between 870 and 1,400 TEU are deployed. Depending on direction and the number of additional ports served, transit time between Hamburg and Lithuania is between two and four days.
HHM’s Regional Director Europe
Marina Basso Michael
Tel: 040/ 37709 111
E-mail: basso-michael@hafen-hamburg.de Hafen Hamburg Marketing
Pickhuben 6
20457 Hamburg
“We certainly face West”“
Algis Latakas, since 2020 Director-General of the State Seaport Authority of Klaipèda, explains in an interview how he aims to position the port.
What is your first thought when you consider the relationship between the Ports of Klaipèda and Hamburg?
That as between all ports there are a few differen- ces, but they have many things in common. To start with, nearly all ports are trimodal. Lithuania and Germany are also closely interwoven com- mercially: Around twelve percent of our total car- go comes from Germany. And our mentality is si- milar. Hamburg could become our best friend.
What does the HHM membership sealed in May mean for you?
The aim is not only cooperation, but also illustra- tes that Klaipèda is looking for strong partners
and not simply remaining in its own bubble. The two ports can do more than simply exchange da- ta, experience, analyses and statistics, but also mutually promote each other commercially. We are very happy that Port of Hamburg Marketing has accepted us as a member, and that’s partly due to the good way we have developed.
How has freight throughput developed?
We finished last year with freight volume of 36.1 million tons and were able to assert our fourth place among the ports of the Eastern area of the Baltic. Total freight was 21 percent lower than 45.6 million tons in 2021. That was due to the loss of almost all transit cargo due to sanctions against