(Yicai) Feb. 28 -- China retained its position as the largest source of containers for the Port of Hamburg last year, while the impact of proposed US tariff hikes on European goods remains uncertain, according to the marketing chief of Germany's busiest seaport.

Cooperation between the Port of Hamburg and international markets increased last year, with China remaining the port's most important trading partner, followed by the United States, according to the latest data released by Hafen Hamburg Marketing, a private promoter of one of the busiest ports in Europe.

Axel Mattern, chief executive of HHM, told Yicai that it is currently impossible to predict the impact of the new US tariff measures on the port. Despite the challenges, Mattern expressed optimism about future cooperation with the US and looks forward to the continued development of this relationship.

On Feb. 26, President Donald Trump announced during a cabinet meeting that the US would soon impose 25 percent tariffs on goods made in the European Union, according to China Central Television.

Cargo moving between China and the Port of Hamburg mainly consists of consumer goods, chemical products, and machinery. Mattern noted that one in every three containers handled at the port comes from or is destined for China.

One of the European transport hub's priorities this year is to strengthen its collaboration with the Port of Shanghai in establishing a green shipping corridor to promote sustainable development. This collaboration was announced during the 2024 North Bund Forum last October.

The Port of Hamburg is connected to major ports in China via 15 shipping routes. Last year, the German port achieved a container throughput of 7.8 million twenty-foot equivalent units, an almost 1 percent increase from 2023. China accounted for nearly 30 percent of this, with 2.2 million TEUs, up 0.7 percent.

The US is the second-largest trading partner for the Port of Hamburg, with an all-time high of 685,000 TEU last year, a 5 percent increase. Singapore ranks third with a throughput of 430,000 TEUs. Among emerging markets, India stood out with a 2.1 percent increase to 195,000 TEUs.

The trend of transitioning to green energy is reflected in port data. In 2024, companies at the Port of Hamburg imported 3.8 million tons of coal, a decrease of 2 percent year-over-year. The import volume of mineral oil products, including crude oil and gasoline, was 5.7 million tons, down nearly 22 percent.

Editor: Emmi Laine