German port operators at a meeting in Berlin called for a national agreement to finance port infrastructure. This meeting, attended by port managers, industry groups, retailers, and representatives of federal transport, raised concerns about regional responsibilities.
Emphasis on Shared Responsibilities
The German Ports Association (Allianz Deutsche Häfen) at this meeting emphasized the need for an agreement between federal and state governments to determine shared responsibilities, clear priorities, and long-term investment commitments. Tino Kuhlmann, CFO of the Port of Hamburg, representing this association, stressed the importance of cooperation between government and the private sector to finance ports.
Need for National Recognition of Ports
Gunnar Gräbler, executive director of Salzgitter, also emphasized that ports should be recognized as strategic and national infrastructure. He stated, "We must consider ports as national strategic infrastructure just like energy networks." These statements reflect the importance of ports in the German economy and the necessity of attention to the related infrastructure.
Participants also emphasized that costs should extend beyond terminals and include roads, railways, and waterways connecting to industry and consumers. Members of this association called for a significant increase in federal contributions to finance ports and the use of Germany's special infrastructure resources to address delays in modernization.
This association includes the ports of Bremen, Brunsbüttel, Duisburg, the Port of Hamburg, Kiel, Lübeck, the ports of Lower Saxony, and Rostock. They called for expedited delivery and closer coordination between government, industry, and port operators, believing that creating reliable gateways is a prerequisite for Germany's competitiveness.
