Approximately 120 guests from business, politics, and logistics accepted Port of Hamburg Marketing’s invitation to the Port Reception in Stuttgart on 23 September.
Representatives of Baden-Württemberg’s industry, logistics companies, and Port of Hamburg partners utilized the opportunity to exchange perspectives on current developments and joint opportunities in international trade.
With contributions from State Councillor Andreas Rieckhof (Ministry of Economy, Labour and Innovation, Hamburg), Ministerial Director Michael Kleiner (Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism, Baden-Württemberg), and Ministerial Director Berthold Frieß (Ministry of Transport, Baden-Württemberg), the close connection between Germany’s largest universal port and Baden-Württemberg’s export-oriented economy was emphasized.
Baden-Württemberg represents one of the Port of Hamburg’s most important hinterland regions.
With strong economic performance and a broad industrial base in mechanical engineering, chemicals, electrical engineering, and automotive sectors, the state plays a crucial role in international trade flows.
In 2024, approximately 380,000 TEU were moved between Hamburg and Baden-Württemberg, with around 320,000 TEU transported by rail.
Axel Mattern, Executive Board Member of Port of Hamburg Marketing, emphasized Baden-Württemberg constitutes a key market for the Port of Hamburg as it hosts globally operating companies that depend on efficient logistics chains both for their exports and for intermediate product and raw material supply.
Ministerial Director Michael Kleiner from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism, Baden-Württemberg, stated that despite current world trade challenges, significant opportunities continue emerging both for the port and for export-strong regions such as Baden-Württemberg.
Rail transport plays a particularly important role: the DUSS Terminal Kornwestheim, southern Germany’s largest hub, alone handles more than 130,000 TEU with Hamburg and is currently undergoing expansion.
The DUSS Terminal Ulm-Dornstadt, with 14 weekly Hamburg connections, is also significantly increasing its capacity. This makes transport routes more efficient and sustainable.
Functioning sea and hinterland connections are centrally important for Baden-Württemberg, with its more than eleven million inhabitants.
In times of global uncertainties and growing geopolitical challenges, it becomes particularly clear how vital reliable infrastructure is: it not only ensures smooth goods export and import but also contributes to stability and supply security within Germany.
The Stuttgart Port Reception clearly demonstrated that close cooperation between Hamburg and Baden-Württemberg provides a solid foundation for this.
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