Maritime Trade and Transport - HWWI

and have consistently modernized and expanded their facilities and capacities. Comple men -
tary industries and service providers have settled in the proximity of the ports, making harbors
into an important economic factor in their regions, above and beyond their role in trade.
More recently, the volume of world commerce and modern logistical concepts have also lent
an economic significance, especially to today’s large ports, that extends beyond the borders of
the city or region. In the international movement of goods, they function as collection and
distribution centers that link the world’s trade regions. The expected ongoing expansion in
world trade up to the year 2030 will, in its wake, make port economics into one of the business
sectors that will maintain healthy development perspectives in the coming decades.
This study deals with the development of cargo shipping and the related effects on ports
in the European trade areas up to the year 2030. To begin with, the historical development
and the structure of international and maritime trade will be portrayed, whereby the em phasis
will be placed on an analysis of trade relations of the EU. This descriptive analysis will
be followed by theoretical explanations for international trade. Subsequently, a portrayal of
the European shipping areas and the structure of their ports will be presented, as well as an
analysis of the most recent developments in the leading ports. In addition, the fundamental
determinants of developments in port economics will be discussed. An analysis of EU foreign
and maritime trade, as well as of the ports in Europe, will serve as a basis for predicting EU
foreign and maritime trade up to the year 2030. Founded on this scenario, a forecast will be
made of the potential effects of expanding maritime trade on growth in handling volume at
the major European ports up to 2030.
10 Berenberg Bank · HWWI: Strategy 2030 · No. 4