Germany — global logistics hub

Global trade and international investment are among the most important prerequisites for growth, employment and prosperity in Germany. More than in any other economy of comparable size, German companies are strongly interlinked with the international division of labour. Foreign trade is the driving force behind Germany's economic relations abroad. In 2013, the German trade volume almost hit 2000 billion Euros - our trade volume with Bangladesh is bigger than 4 billion Euros.
The level of integration of German industry within international markets is constantly growing. The main factors influencing this development are the increasing globalisation of world markets and the opening of new markets.

Globalisation offers enormous opportunities for German industry. However, at the same time it is also a great challenge. Increased competition on international markets and the rapid technological developments present German industry with the challenge of maintaining and increasing its leading position in important sectors. Creativity, dynamism and efficiency have helped make Germany an economic leader among industrialised nations.
To maintain our successful global business co-operations, Germany is investing heavily in its logistics and infrastructure. A functioning logistics system is a prerequisite for sustained growth and a further increase in global trade. The main challenge is to secure a smooth transfer of people and goods by land, sea or air. To assure this transfer Germany put in place some of the biggest logistics hubs worldwide:
The Port of Hamburg is located 110 kilometres from the North Sea. It is named Germany's "Gateway to the World" and is the largest German port. Hamburg is the third-busiest port in Europe and 15th-largest worldwide. In 2013, more than 9 million containers were handled in Hamburg.
The Port of Duisburg lies at the junction of the Ruhr and Rhine rivers about 190 kilometres from the North Sea in western Germany close to the country's border with The Netherlands. "Duisport", is the largest inland port in the world. It is officially regarded as a "seaport" because from there seagoing river vessels leave for destinations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Each year, more than 40 million tonnes of various goods are handled with more than 20,000 ships calling at the port.
Frankfurt Airport is a major international airhub located nearby Frankfurt, the fifth-largest city of Germany and one of the world's leading financial centres. It is operated by Fraport and serves as the main hub for Lufthansa, the biggest German air carrier. The airport features two passenger terminals with a capacity of approximately 65 million passengers per year, four runways and extensive logistics facilities. Frankfurt Airport is by far the busiest airport by passenger traffic in Germany, the third busiest in Europe after London Heathrow and Paris-Charles de Gaulle and the 12th busiest worldwide in 2013. With a freight throughput of 2.09 million metric tonnes in 2013 it is also the busiest airport in Europe by cargo traffic.
These are just some examples for the already existing logistic hubs in Germany. Our country will continue to invest in infrastructure to facilitate global trade and secure sustained growth and prosperity.