Hamburg and Shanghai, both renowned port cities, have and are developing close economic connections, especially in logistics.
"Ninety percent of the shipping logistics between China and Hamburg start from Shanghai," said Heinrich Lieser, CEO of Hamburg Marketing GmbH and HWF Hamburg Business Development Corporation.
He said that speed, which is crucial to port logistics, is Hamburg's advantage.
The history of trade between Hamburg and China can be traced back nearly 275 years, when the first Chinese cargo ship from Guangzhou, carrying tea, silk and chinaware, sailed into the Port of Hamburg in 1731.
Today, more than half of the trade between Germany and China goes through the Port of Hamburg. Even in 2009, during the global recession, China was still Germany's most important foreign trade partner, with about 2.3 million standard containers, 33 percent of the port's total throughput.
The connection between Hamburg and Shanghai became closer after China decided to develop Shanghai into an international shipping center in 2009.
"Different markets have different demands," said Lieser. "China has great labor advantages while the cost of labor is very high in Europe."
Lieser said the two cities can cooperate more than just in logistics. "There are more than 400 Chinese enterprises, three Chinese schools and many law firms in Hamburg. Recently, we have had some exchanges among schools as well as in sports," he said. "We are seeking more intercommunication not only for the economy, but also among people."
Located near Scandinavia and other major markets in northeast Europe, the Port of Hamburg is the third largest port in Europe and the ninth largest worldwide.
(China Daily 06/18/2010 page39)
