Page 22 - Port of Hamburg Magazine 03.2019

■ HAMBURG’S MARKETS
© pixabay
22 | Port of Hamburg Magazine | September 2019
GDANSK
try, punitive tariffs by the USA could have repercussions for the domestic market.
The electronics sector is still growing too. Completion of the first phase of construction of the test route for autono- mous driving in Zalaegerszeg is one sign of that. It is as- sumed that this will also bring in new companies. The building industry is flourishing thanks to numerous public sector orders and support for private building. In addition, the state is also subsidizing private consumption.
In Hungary we are in competition with other ports, with Budapest well positioned thanks to a new rail terminal for container trains. Hamburg is relying here on further expan- sion by German Rail.
to one of Europe’s most innovative and competitive. Around 145 million people live in the eight Europe- an countries with direct access to the Baltic. Also to be included here are Russia and Belarus with around 150 million inhabitants.
With stable GDP growth rates of up to three per- cent, the Baltic region and many Eastern European countries will also remain attractive in future for the Port of Hamburg and its logistics sector. Such ma- jor infrastructure projects as Rail Baltica will ensure the integration of the Baltic region into the Europe- an rail network and provide more intermodal link- ups as far as Scandinavia. Construction of the Feh- marn Belt tunnel between the islands of Fehmarn in Germany and Lolland in Denmark aims to further strengthen the link with Scandinavia. On the cur- rent state of planning, the first trains and vehicles should be able to cross the Belt through the 18-kilo- metre tunnel in 2028.
Its far-flung feeder network and excellent hinter- land infrastructure make the Port of Hamburg their overseas port for most countries on the Baltic. In Eastern Europe too, in Russia or Belarus, for exam- ple, the Port of Hamburg fulfils an important role as an export port. The Port of Hamburg’s significance in the Baltic region, including the Baltic Sea and Scandinavia, is underlined by the fact that six coun- tries from the region are among its Top Twenty trading partners on seaward container services. Despite numerous political and economic discrepan- cies, all nine countries on the Baltic are closely tied up with one another. Those in the West, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway, are progressive industrial na-
Baltic Sea region
Head of market development: Marina Basso Michael
After China, the Baltic Sea region and Eastern Eu- rope are the Port of Hamburg’s second most impor- tant market region, with the potential to develop in-