The Association of the companies of the port in Hamburg (Unternehmensverband Hafen Hamburg e V., Germany) approve the decision of the Senate of Hamburg by January, 1st, 2013 to abolish the so called free port zone at the port. The liquidation of customs borders would make all transport and customs procedures at the port faster and flexible, Klaus-Diter Peters, the president of the Association told "Port news" agency at the German office in St.-Petersburg.
«In spite of the fact that we would want it to happen long time ago, nevertheless we approve that the agreement comprehensible to all the parties have been reached, and the decades of discussions are at last over », Mr. Klaus-Diter Peters is quoted as saying.
«It is very important now, that the general concept and executive customs instructions could be shortly worked out and presented so that all port enterprises would have enough time to be prepared for system changes», said Mr. Klaus-Diter Peters
Over many years the Association of the companies of the port in Hamburg have been struggling to achieve the abolition of the free port zone. A determinative for the Association position appeared to be the new rules in the European Union concerning cargo transportation and customs registration.
Considerable traffic obstacles and traffic jams used to be a common case at customs checkpoints. Because of the pure transport infrastructure connected with a free area, forwarders faced extra costs as it was impossible to place motor transport easily. Motor transport arrangement depends on business hours of customs offices and type of the goods . As soon as the free port area is abolished these drawbacks are to become the thing of the past.
Association of the port companies in Hamburg (Unternehmensverband Hafen Hamburg e V.) represents interests of 109 enterprises of the port in Hamburg at economic, social and political levels.