[ Prospects for 1997 ]

The economic recovery apparent this year, which was above all
initially accompanied by a hefty increase in foreign demand, leads
Hamburg’s port economy to see the coming year in a positive light.
The forecasts of economic research institutes and Germany’s Council
of Economic Experts(”Five Wise Men”) agree that the conditions for
continued recovery are still favorable. At present, the assumption
is that GDP will rise by 2.5% and world trade by as much as 7.5% in
1997.