Page 23 - Port of Hamburg Magazine 03.2019

tions of great importance, not only for the economy of Northern Germany, but also for states in Central Ger- many and their economically powerful counterparts in the South. Reporting stable growth rates, the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have been on an upward curve for years.
The Polish economy is notable for growing consumer demand. Recently, investments have been propelling strong growth, which is reflected in rising employment rates and foreign trade. Exports and imports are not be- ing affected in 2019 by the cooling off in the world econ- omy. Apart from EU countries, China and the USA are among Poland’s Top Ten trading partners. The top ex- port products are automotive parts and furniture, as well as foodstuffs – with fruit exports in reefer containers making good progress over roughly the last three years. In Poland the Port of Hamburg is seen as a hub, both by sea – especially for containers to Gdynia and Szczecin – and overland by road and rail. The Hanseatic port is of special interest for exports to the USA and the Middle East, where transit times are important. The new ser- vices to the USA and China offer additional advantages. For importers, uncomplicated customs clearance is sig- nificant.
One challenge in the region for Hamburg is the role of Gdansk: liner services calling there directly are in com- petition with Hamburg as a feeder hub.
Poland
Port of Hamburg Representative Office: Warsaw Representative: Maceij Brzozowski
Assistant: Emilia Przybył
HAMBURG’S MARKETS ■
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