December 6 - Project cargo and heavy lift traffic between one of the BRIC quartet of expanding economies and Europe's main manufacturing countries have been boosted by the opening of a new representative office by the port of Hamburg in Mumbai At the same

The Port of Hamburg is one of India's most important commercial partners in seaborne foreign trade and has opened a representative office in Mumbai to increase ties with the Indian gateway.

This office is designed to further strengthen economic, cultural and academic links between the two countries. Supported by Port of Hamburg Marketing, the Hamburg Senate and the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, the representative office is regarded as the contact point for representatives of the world's of politics, commerce and culture from Hamburg and India.

At the same time, the inauguration of new, direct liner services between Hamburg and India is strengthening trade between the two countries. Along with the eastbound service to India by Rickmers-Linie is once again offering a direct service from India to Europe. Together with Mumbai and Chennai, Hamburg is one of the main ports in the rotation.

With aid from additional tonnage, Rickmers-Linie, specialising in sea transport of project cargo, heavy loads and general cargo, is building up its links with India. Altogether five new ships with crane capacities (combined) of between 240 and 800 tonnes have so far been added to the service.

At the same time, Polish-Chinese shipping company Chipolbrok is also extending its Middle East-India service to Mumbai to the discharge port of Chennai from December 2011. Multi-purpose ships with onboard cranes with a total lifting capacity of 300 tonnes are deployed.