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Hamburg's big stevedore, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik (HHLA), posted a 10 per cent year-on-year operating profit increase to EUR169 million (US$191.2 million) in 2014, drawn on revenues of EUR1.2 billion, which increased five per cent.

"Our strategy proved to be so robust that we were able to generate above average results even in a difficult operating environment, which included a further delay in the dredging of the River Elbe and the crises in Russia and Ukraine," said HHLA chairman Klaus-Dieter Peters.

Container throughput at the three container terminals in Hamburg increased 1.2 per cent year on year to 7.2 million TEU, impacted by lower feeder traffic with Russia in the second half of 2014.

This rise did not offset the decline at Container Terminal Odessa caused by the crisis in Ukraine. Throughput there fell nearly 30 per cent to 300,000 TEU. Total group volume container throughput remained flat - 7.5 million TEU.

But HHLA's intermodal companies thrived with European seaport-hinterland traffic increasing 9.4 per cent to 1.3 million TEU. The strategy of using the companies?own inland terminals in the European hinterland and their own rolling stock supported strong growth.