Hamburg Süd boost 2008 revenue 24%

Hamburg Süd announced that its total turnover in 2008 rose by 24 percent to 4.5 billion euros.

The company's result also include those of its Brazilian sister company Aliança Navegacao e Logistica and the dry bulk tramp operations of Rudolf A. Oetker and Furness Withy Chartering.

The company said around 15 percent of the growth in turnover is attributable to organic growth and nine per cent to the acquisition of CCL's business.

It said that bunker costs constituted the single most important cost category. With consumption at approximately 2.2 million tonnes, two million of that in liner services, and some 1.1 billion USD was spent on bunkers. The price-driven increase in costs stood at 0.3 billion USD.

It took delivery of two new Monte-class ships, each with a nominal slot capacity of 5,500 TEUs, and three Rio-class ships, each with a 5,900-TEU capacity last year. The new ships are deployed in the trade lanes from Asia and Europe to South America and, due to their shallow draught and high reefer-container capacity, ideally meet customer requirements.

Container volumes of the company rose to just under 2.7 million TEUs in 2008. The company has strengthened its organization in the Mediterranean and Central America with the takeover of the CCL services. It is represented today by approximately 300 offices worldwide. Some 87 percent of shipment volume is handled by over 100 proprietary offices.