Scrap and Steel
Scrapped machines and industrial equipment, junk cars and discarded household appliances serve as raw material for the metalworking industry.
Barges bring scrap metal from the hinterland to the Port of Hamburg. A number of businesses specialise in collecting, sorting and shredding it. The metal is then transported by ship to China and the USA, where it is used to produce bulk goods like constructional steel or reinforcement mats.
Steel is a class of goods that can vary greatly in added value. The Port of Hamburg handles this basic material in steel slabs, as well as rolling mill products like wire and pipe. The market for steel is highly volatile. Shares of import and export cargo as well as trade partners vary, depending on prices on the world market.