The Covid 19 outbreak in Shanghai is causing a local lockdown that is also affecting the port. With a handling volume of over 45 million TEU, it is the largest port in the world. Many industrial companies and also customs have switched to keeping the port open in a two-shift operation. The employees remain on site. Despite all these measures, there are delays in supply chains.

For the Port of Hamburg, Shanghai is one of the most important ports in China trade. Shanghai and Hamburg are connected by 13 liner services, nine of which run weekly. In addition, four general cargo services operate according to demand. The volumes transported between Hamburg and Shanghai are correspondingly large.

A total of 2.561 million TEU were handled between China and Hamburg last year. 14.1 million tonnes came from China to Hamburg in 2021. The largest commodity groups were machinery, equipment and household appliances, chemical products, metals and metal products, and furniture, jewellery and musical instruments.
The extent to which this will have an impact in Hamburg is not yet foreseeable. This will only become evident in a few weeks’ time.