Two of Europe's leading ports have reached out in a bid to strengthen trade ties with valuable markets.
The Port of Hamburg organised a special port evening in St Petersburg, Russia, at the end of September, bringing together representatives of the Russian transport and logistics sector and partners from the Hamburg Metropolitan Region to discuss ongoing economic sanctions and the recovery of Russia's foreign trade.
According to the Hamburg port authority, the 240 attendees welcomed the news that seaborne foreign trade between Russia and Hamburg had picked up in the opening half of the year despite ongoing economic sanctions and after the 'marked downturn' in container traffic last year.
“For many years Hamburg and St Petersburg have cultivated successful cultural, economic, scientific and social contacts' said Port of Hamburg marketing authority joint CEO Inglo Egloff. 'Our aim must be to strengthen and further develop these through intensive dialogue and constructive cooperation.'
Meanwhile, Belgium's Port of Antwerp held its annual Club Afric networking event as it looks to encourage greater trade with the African continent, building on the 19m tonnes of cargo that already moves between the two.
This year’s event, the third to be organised, was held this week on the Left bank in Antwerp and attracted more than 100 attendees, with focuses on expanding trade with West Africa and paying greater attention to East Africa where countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania are sources of products with great potential.
The port authority also confirmed that in the autumn of 2017 it would be sending a trade mission to Côte d’Ivoire, with a Port Day in Cameroon also planned.
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