Hamburg is now even more international

On Monday 7 November 2010, Hamburg celebrated the official inauguration of the European Union Latin America and Caribbean Foundation (EU LAC). The new European foundation was set up to strengthen co-operation between the European Union and the states of Latin America and the Caribbean.

On occasion of the inauguration, Hamburg’s First Mayor Olaf Scholz said: "The strategic partnership with Latin America is considered one of the most ambitious projects of the European Union’s foreign policy. Already since the mid-1990s, the EU has been forging a bi-regional partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean region. This partnership has now been placed on a new basis. I am very convinced that the European Union will be able to expand ties to Latin America from Hamburg. And, of course, it should not only be an economic, but also a cultural connection. The foundation has set as goal to strengthen the mutual understanding between Europe and Latin America."

Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle attended the inauguration ceremony in Hamburg’s city hall. He thanked the foundation’s chairman Dr. Banita Ferrero-Waldner and appreciated the co-operation between Latin America and Europe.

"The foundation will act as a catalyst for joint strategies and joint action and intensify the partnership between Europe and Latin America on all levels", said Jutta Ludwig, CEO of HWF Hamburg Business Development Corporation. "Hamburg has a long economic tradition with Latin America, which reaches far beyond the port. With Brazil, for instance, we have common interests in the maritime industry, while in our relations with Mexico, the renewable energies and IT play an important role", explains Ludwig the assets of the foundation’s headquarters for the Hanseatic city. Latin America, in particular, is regarded as a future growth region, and thus as an important trade partner of the Elbe metropolis. Simultaneously, the expanding companies across the Atlantic discover European markets. Hamburg is an ideal location for new offices and entry point for the European market. HWF will thus further extend its Latin America activities and use several options to present its range of services to Latin American companies planning to relocate or expand. "We want to increase the awareness of Hamburg in the Latin American countries and thereby increase its attractiveness as a business location for companies from the region", announced Jutta Ludwig.

But also companies from the Hamburg Metropolitan Area could benefit from taking a closer look of Latin America’s regions. Hamburg’s medium-sized enterprises will especially find good opportunities for interesting business in Latin America, and with the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, they have a competent service partner at their side.

In addition, HWF supports the EZLA project. In the trade centre of the same name, all Hamburg-based Latin America competences will be bundled. Thereby, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg particularly plans to support small and medium-sized companies on their way to Europe. EZLA will offer all elements of the economic chain, from market information and representations of logistics and distribution partners to a business centre with a showroom.

The connections now maintained by the new network are all traditional. Already in the 17th century, Jewish merchants from Spain and Portugal escaped inquisition by settling in the liberal city of Hamburg, where they continued their business with Latin America. Today, Hamburg is twinned to Leon in Nicaragua, and has signed many bi- and multilateral trade treaties with Latin American countries. Numerous associations and institutions support relations with those countries, including, inter alia, the Latin America Association founded as early as 1916 by Hamburg merchants.

In January, the Latin and Caribbean countries and the council of the European Union selected Hamburg as the foundation’s seat. For further information, please refer to: www.hamburg.de/schwerpunktregion-suedamerika.

Export / import data

In 2010, container traffic between Hamburg and South America’s East coast increased to 260.000 TEU, and thus 10.6 per cent compared to the previous year. Out the total, container traffic with Brazil covered 189.000 TEU. Brazil’s economy continues to consolidate a growing foreign trade and reconfirms itself with a turnover of some 5.6 million tonnes as one of Hamburg’s top three trade partners in sea cargo handling. Major goods handled imported via the Port of Hamburg are iron ore, oil seeds, green coffee, and meat from Brazil. Fertilizers, vehicles, machinery and plant parts as well as pharmaceutical products dominate exports. In the total sea cargo traffic, Brazil was the second most important trade partner of the Port of Hamburg in 2010 with 6.9 million tonnes (2009 ranked third). This represents an increase of 22.3 per cent year on year, caused mainly by iron ore. Container handling also significantly increased, now ranked ninth.