KAKAO – Association of companies involved in raw cocoa trading

Industry

Since its beginnings in Germany, the cocoa trade has focused on Hamburg and the Port of Hamburg. Despite a significant decline in the number of traders and a strong connection in international trade in recent decades, Hamburg continues to be a key player in supplying German industry. This is not only due to the role of trade, but above all because of its function as an important national import port and storage location for raw cocoa. Around 40% of the requirements of German industry are likely to be imported via Hamburg, which corresponds to a share of the world harvest of over 5%. However, cocoa expertise is not only available from traders and warehouse keepers. Special product and industry knowledge can also be found among local experts, insurance companies, banks and transport companies. The specialised warehouses in the Port of Hamburg play an outstanding role in this respect due to their expertise in the raw material cocoa, which they have acquired over decades. These companies serve as the outsourced storage facilities for the industry, playing an important role not only in safekeeping, but above all in the maintenance evaluation of inventory. On average, around a quarter to a third of the annual requirements of German industry is expected to be stored here in the port.