BERLIN, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Germany's seaports handled 296.5 million tons of goods in 2018, 0.7 percent less than a year earlier, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) said on Monday.
Back in April, Destatis reported an increase of 1.6 percent for 2018, but the figure has since been revised downwards because a federal state had submitted incorrect data.
Most of the goods handled in German seaports -- 26.4 million tons -- were destined for Russia or came from there. Sweden, China and the United States followed with 25.3 million tons, 22 million tons and 17.4 million tons, respectively.
The volume of goods loaded and unloaded remained below the level reached before the global financial crisis. In 2008, about 318 million tons of goods had been handled in Germany's seaports, according to Destatis.
The volume of goods transported by sea and handled in German seaports in 2018 was around 58 times higher than that of air freight handled at German airports.
Almost 40 percent of the cargo processed at German ports came or went to countries of the European Union (EU) in 2018, an increase of 1 percent compared to 2017. However, trade with the United Kingdom declined by 3.9 percent to 16.6 million tons, Destatis noted.
