Cocoa – Golden Beans

Germany is the third largest importer of cocoa beans in the world, after the USA and the Netherlands. The majority of cocoa beans come into the country through the Port of Hamburg.

In 2010 around 80,000 tons of bagged beans and some 107,000 tons of bulk beans were handled in Hamburg. Cocoa beans as listed products must normally be stored according to the approval requirements of the London cocoa exchange (LIFFE).

The raw cocoa that comes to Hamburg is mainly further processed by north German industry. The Port of Hamburg acts as the right hand of the confectionary industry. Apart from a functional port, prosperous industries are of great importance to the success of the classic port activities of the quartermen.

Increasingly in recent years semi-finished cocoa products (cocoa paste and cocoa butter) are coming from the rawcocoa producing countries.