The number of containers passing through Hamburg rose 14 percent in 2011, helping Germany’s largest port jump to number two in Europe. Germany’s economic growth carried the EU in 2011, increasing the country’s attractiveness as an investment destination. Logistics investments in Germany are on the rise in 2012, in part to meet growing retail demand.

"During the crisis of 2009, ports across Europe were eerily quiet. And just two years later German exports reached an all-time record. Such a quick turnaround would not have been possible without a world-class infrastructure and the strongest domestic market in Europe. These are the key reasons companies choose Germany for their European logistics operations," said David Chasdi, logistics expert at Germany Trade & Invest, an organization that advises foreign companies looking to expand their business activities in the German market.

Already this year, companies have invested in new logistics facilities in Germany: Penske Logistics recently inaugurated a new office in Dusseldorf to deliver logistics services to companies in the automotive, healthcare, manufacturing, and chemical sectors. The company was supported by Germany Trade & Invest. Also in 2012, Amazon will open two new facilities and Swiss logistics giant Kuehne + Nagel broke ground on its massive facility in Duisburg, the world’s largest inland port.

Over 9 million containers (132.2 million tons) passed through Hamburg in 2011, a gain of over a million containers in one year. But Hamburg was not the only port to grow. Freight passing through the Baltic Sea port of Kiel increased 8.5 percent to 6 million tons in 2011, setting a new record for the hub serving Scandinavia, Russia and the Baltic states. The North Sea port of Bremerhaven also claimed the top European spot for automobile handling. And the new deep sea port in Wilhelmshaven - JadeWeserPort - is attracting customers with deep discounts through 2018.