The Port of Hamburg, Germany's largest port and a crucial European sea-rail transportation hub, has witnessed continuously expanding trade volumes with China over the past five decades, said the port's marketing chief.
Hamburg Port has long served as a microcosm of China-EU economic cooperation. Now, about 30 percent of the port's cargo originate from and go to China, which makes the country the top trading partner of the port for many consecutive years, according to Axel Mattern, CEO of Hamburg Port Marketing.
"A significant portion of cargo handled at the Port of Hamburg -- accounting for 30 percent of its total volume -- either originates from or is destined for China. This makes Hamburg's connection with China and Chinese ports absolutely vital. We maintain extremely close exchanges with China, which has remained Hamburg Port's largest trading partner for many consecutive years," said Mattern.
Data from Hamburg Port Marketing shows the port handled 597,000 TEUs of China-bound containers in Q1 2025, an 11.3-percent year-on-year increase. In 2024, China accounted for 2.2 million TEUs, or about 30 percent of the port's total throughput.
Beyond growing volumes, China-Europe goods transiting Hamburg have diversified, including consumer products, chemicals, and machinery equipment.
"We have signed various cooperation memorandums with our Chinese partners. Hamburg Port maintains long-term, close collaborations with Shanghai Port and Shenzhen Port. Additionally, we operate large-scale offices in Shanghai, Ningbo, Tianjin, and Qingdao. Hamburg Port remains committed to fostering professional exchange, which is why we have established diverse partnerships, including technical exchanges, port operations, and crucially, in the fields of digitalization and green sustainability initiatives," said Mattern.
He emphasized Hamburg's role as Europe's gateway, where Chinese goods are distributed across the continent, reflecting tight economic bonds between China, Germany and the rest of Europe.
"We have been actively participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for many years, with particular focus on the rail connections between China and the Port of Hamburg. Moreover, we view this as a partnership -- one that is open and collaborative," he said.
As a vital China-Europe trade nexus, Hamburg Port continues deepening bilateral exchanges in goods and personnel. The port authorities pledged to further enhance economic cooperation under the BRI framework.
Connection with China crucial for Port of Hamburg: marketing CEO
A new round of trade-in subsidy program is energizing China's consumer market these days, with provinces across the country seeing a surge in demand for cars, home appliances and digital devices.
In north China's Shanxi Province, the new trade-in subsidy program, which started on January 9, has further helped boost sales in home appliances and digital devices which are covered by the new round of subsidies.
To enjoy the subsidies, six types of home appliances, including refrigerators and washing machines, must meet national Level 1 energy-efficiency or water-efficiency standards. Digital and smart products include four types, such as mobile phones and tablets, with a sales price cap of 6,000 yuan (about 800 U.S. dollars) per item.
In both categories, subsidies are set at 15 percent of the final transaction price. For home appliances, the maximum subsidy is 1,500 yuan per item. For digital products, the cap is 500 yuan per item. Each consumer can receive a subsidy for one unit in each category.
Neighboring Shanxi, Hebei Province kicked off the year of 2026 with the new round of trade-in subsidy program starting on January 1.
The subsidies cover automobiles, home appliances, and digital products. Individual consumers who purchase designated Level 1 energy-efficiency appliances or eligible digital products priced at no more than 6,000 yuan can receive subsidies equal to 15 percent of the transaction price. The maximum subsidy is 1,500 yuan per appliance and 500 yuan per digital or smart device, with each person limited to one subsidized item in each category.
Data showed that from Jan 1 to 9, Hebei's home appliance trade-in program alone disbursed more than 130 million yuan in subsidies, driving sales of over 920 million yuan.
In east China's Jiangsu Province, the new trade-in subsidy program, taking effect for two weeks, has brought the province a boom in trade-in.
At a local 4S store in Jiangsu's Suqian City, showroom traffic has spiked as salespeople walked customers through the new benefits from the trade-in subsidy program.
"Under the scrappage-and-replacement scheme, customers who buy a new energy vehicle (NEV) can receive a subsidy worth 12 percent of the vehicle price, capped at 20,000 yuan (about 2,860 U.S. dollars). For combustion-engine cars, the subsidy is 10 percent, with an upper limit of 15,000 yuan. For trade-ins, NEVs are able to receive a subsidy worth 8 percent of the vehicle price, up to 15,000 yuan, while combustion-engine cars will receive a 6-percent subsidy, with a cap of 13,000 yuan," said Sun Yue, a saleswoman at the store.
In the home appliance sector, Jiangsu's policy this year stipulates that only products that meet China's Level 1 energy-efficiency standard are eligible for subsidies. The scheme covers six major categories, including refrigerators and washing machines.
Consumers who purchase qualifying appliances can receive a subsidy equal to 15 percent of the final retail price, up to a maximum of 1,500 yuan per item. Each person is limited to one subsidized unit per product category.
Four types of digital and smart products, such as mobile phones and tablets, are eligible for a 15-percent subsidy capped at 500 yuan per unit, with a retail price no more than 6,000 yuan.
"With the national subsidy policy back in place this year, I went to the store to check what discounts I could get. It knocked 500 yuan off the price. [The discounted price is] very reasonable," said Wang Kang, a resident of Jiangsu's Xuzhou Province.
To enhance the shopping experience for consumers, many retailers are pairing subsidies with "one-stop" services that combine the delivery of new products with on-site collection of old ones.
"After consumers place an order for new home appliances, our staff will schedule a time to pick up the old units. Recycling the old appliance can also further offset the purchase price of the new one," said Yang Jie, a sales supervisor at a major home appliance company.
China's new trade-in program sparks consumption boom
