Competition is fiercer than ever amongst leading container ports vying to attract the business of today’s three main global alliances as the container sector undergoes a period of unprecedented rationalisation.

Port of Hamburg has reported container traffic for 2015 of 8.8m teu, down 9.3% on the previous year’s total, contributing to a 5.4% drop in overall cargo throughput to 137.8m tons.

German authorities successfully freed 19,000 teu CSCL Indian Ocean, grounded in the Elbe River, in the early hours of this morning. As many as 12 tugs used in the operation.

In shipping, at least, manufacturing in Europe is often characterised as one on a cliff-edge, poised to fall towards enormous shipbuilding factories in China, Korea and Japan as if by sheer, inexorable force of gravity.

It’s good to see shipping companies getting some recognition for their role in the rescue of migrants in the Med.

There is “significant potential” for cyber attacks on shipboard systems, Bimco has warned.

The yearly ‘Christmas jump’ in container trade has “almost completely failed to materialise” thanks to falling container volumes from Russia and China, says the Port of Hamburg.

Shanghai International Port (Group) Co (SIPG) is looking to invest in Germany’s Hamburg and Bremen ports, as it continually seeks opportunities to own or operate overseas ports, reports said.

The Port of Hamburg handled 35.6m tons in Q1 2015, a 0.1% increase compared with the same period in 2014, as container trades were hit by sanctions against Russia.

The Port of Hamburg has reported a 4.8% increase in throughput in 2014 to 145.7m tons, it's highest ever result.