Due to continued very high inflation, the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) will raise port fees by an average of 6.5 percent from 1 January, 2024.
The goods handled as bulk cargo in maritime transport, such as ore, coal, building materials, grain, fertilisers or mineral oil products, reached a total volume of 36.2 million tonnes in the Port of Hamburg in 2022. This corresponds to a decline of 8.9 percent compared to the previous year, which can be directly and indirectly attributed to stricter sanctions against Russia.
Friedrich Stuhrmann, Chief Commercial Officer of the HPA: “Our aim is to be able to offer our customers in the Port of Hamburg an efficient infrastructure. In order to make this possible, an adjustment of the port fees is necessary in view of the development of construction prices.”
With the new port fees, the HPA is also simplifying the tariff structure. For example, the quantity component is eliminated. This leads to more transparency and less effort on all sides. Furthermore, the previously temporary quantum discount will be de-funded, extended and increased in volume.
At the same time, the environmental component will be given greater weight. In the area of inland waterway shipping, under certain conditions significant charges will be waived for a limited period until the end of 2028 if the ships in question are operated exclusively with electricity generated in an environmentally friendly manner.
