The Port of Hamburg, the largest seaport in Germany, has been suffering from the repercussions of the United States' erratic trade policies, according to the port's marketing director.
Axel Mattern, chief executive officer of Port of Hamburg Marketing Association, told China Central Television that the increasing uncertainties created by U.S. tariffs have made it hard for the port's operators to make supply chain decisions.
"his makes it hard for us to predict future developments as a port, because we don't know how things will go. One thing is for sure: such a trade policy will definitely bring negative effects," Mattern said.
According to a report released by British shipping consultancy Drewry, waiting time for berth space increased by 49 percent at the Port of Hamburg between late March and mid-May, and a staggering increase of 77 percent at the Port of Bremerhaven.
Many other European ports, including Antwerp, Rotterdam, and Felixstowe, also recorded long delays, the report said.
Stressing widespread negative consequences of inappropriate political decisions, Mattern called for a return to free trade.
"We now can see that where free trade is threatened, everything is affected. So, it's of course important that trade be as free as possible," Mattern said.
German port struggles to keep up with erratic U.S. tariffs
German port struggles to keep up with erratic U.S. tariffs
German port struggles to keep up with erratic U.S. tariffs
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukraine stands ready to agree to security guarantees based on NATO's Article 5 as part of a compromise in the peace process, according to media reports.
"From the very beginning, Ukraine's desire was to join NATO, these are real security guarantees. Some partners from the United States and Europe did not support this direction," the Ukrinform news agency quoted Zelensky.
Zelensky said Article 5-like guarantees from the United States and from European partners, as well as from other countries, "would provide an opportunity to prevent another arrival of Russian troops." He also called it "a compromise on our part."
Zelensky said he was not yet ready to disclose specific details of the proposed security guarantees, saying they would be known in a day or two.
Ukrainian president arrived in Berlin on Sunday afternoon for talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other European leaders.
German newspaper Bild reported that Zelensky may also hold talks with representatives of U.S. President Donald Trump, but did not elaborate further.
According to Ukrinform, Zelensky said the same day that Ukraine must be prepared for any possible developments regarding elections.
"I asked our partners to assist with the security situation if elections are held, and I said that lawmakers should prepare options for how this could be implemented if the situation develops in that direction. They should work out, in the near future, options for holding elections," he said in a statement in response to journalists' questions.
He said he had received "signals" from the United States and President Trump regarding Ukraine's presidential election.
Ukraine says ready to accept NATO-style security guarantees
