Although the worst seems to have passed for the world’s leading economies, the effects and consequences of the global financial and economic crisis will remain the subject of intense debate for some time.
The slump in seaborne cargo transshipments in the third quarter of 2009 certainly provided no relief or cause for celebration.
And yet, tentative positive signs are emerging in the German economy, which according to media reports is already stabilizing and headed for an upturn.
Economists anticipate a return to economic growth in 2010, with the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce already boldly forecasting a growth rate of 2 percent. One thing is clear: The underlying structures facilitating the global flow of merchandise continue to function and remain intact.