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Bremen (dpa) - The turbulence in Corona year 2020 has posted a loss of 116 million euros before taxes (EBT) to the Bremen seaport and logistics service provider BLG.

The slump hit container handling and automotive logistics in particular, as the city-owned company reported on Wednesday.

The turnover of the BLG Logistics group fell to 1.065 billion euros, after 1.18 billion euros in 2019.

The year 2001 will also be difficult, said CEO Frank Dreeke.

But he is assuming a clear recovery.

The former Bremer Lagerhausgesellschaft is an important part of the port and transport industry in Germany.

Among other things, it operates car shipping via Bremerhaven.

There the handling dropped by a fifth to 1.7 million cars, reported board member Andrea Eck.

BLG's container business consists of a 50 percent share in the large terminal operator Eurogate with its German locations in Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven.

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For Eurogate, it was not only the corona-related decline in container throughput in spring 2020 that made business difficult, said Eurogate Managing Director Michael Blach. The company also had to set aside money for restructuring to stay competitive with Rotterdam and Antwerp. The value of the business at the new JadeWeserPort in Wilhelmshaven has been revised downwards. A book loss of 67.2 million euros was incurred for the container division at BLG.

"The run-up in Wilhelmshaven did not go as expected in 2006," said Blach.

At that time, Eurogate was awarded the contract as operator.

Handling at the terminal has always remained below expectations since it went into operation in 2012.

The decline in 2020 hit Wilhelmshaven particularly, said Blach.

Nevertheless, he believed in the future of the tide-independent deep-water port.

Talks between Eurogate and the Hamburg port operator HHLA about a merger would continue, said Blach.

However, the only option is to work together on an equal footing; Bremen must remain a location for a future joint venture.

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© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210421-99-293181 / 2

Financial report BLG Logistics 2020