en.Wedoany.com Reported - The German federal and state governments are providing 1.2 billion euros in funding for the upgrade of inland waterway infrastructure. A Hamburg CDU parliamentarian stated that inland waterway transport is crucial for small and medium-sized enterprises and industry, describing waterways as "the lifeline of Germany's economic location," and calling this investment a "great success."

Urgently needed investments in rivers and canals may now become feasible. Ports will also benefit significantly, such as Duisburg, the world's largest inland port, and seaports like the Port of Hamburg, which is an important transshipment point for inland waterway transport.

A survey by the Central Association of German Seaport Operators (ZDS) among its members shows that the structural funding requirement for all German seaports amounts to approximately 15 billion euros. The ZDS and coastal states have complained for years about a structural funding shortfall for seaports. The federal government currently invests only 38.3 million euros annually through the so-called "port fee compensation," while the ZDS estimates that 500 million euros per year are needed.