Bloomberg reported that container volumes at Germany's Port of Hamburg rose by 15% YoY to 6.5 million twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) in the first 9 months of 2011 on increased trade with Asia and Russia. Total trade volumes in the 9 months through September 2011 rose 11% YoY to 99 million tonnes.

Container volumes between the Port of Hamburg and north east Asia firmed 12% while the number of boxes transported between the port and countries on the Baltic Sea increased 28%.

Ms Claudia Roller marketing CEO at the Port of Hamburg told Bloomberg that "We don't expect to see a decline in a seaborne trade with the important markets of China, Asia, America and the countries in the Baltic region in 2012."

The Port of Hamburg is Europe's third largest port. The port predicts that container volumes will rise 14% to 9 million TEUs and that trade volumes will rise 10% to 144 million tonnes for the full year.

(Sourced from www.bloomberg.net)