THE HAMBURG COFFEE EXCHANGE

Contrary to the other exchanges the Hamburg Coffee Exchange offices are not located in the Exchange Building but in the warehouse complex in the Free Port. After World War II Hamburg trade companies got together and built an exchange hall in one of the coffee warehouses. This commodity exchange is managed by the German Coffee Association (Deutscher Kaffee-Verband e.V.).

The Coffee Exchange was the first Hamburg exchange to establish a futures market of international importance in 1887, yet futures trading was brought to a halt by the two world wars.

In 1956 the Coffee Exchange opened its doors once again. This time it was the world economic situation and the resulting changes on the raw commodity markets which forced the Exchange to shut down active trading. Today, the Exchange exists only formally. Presently, the international coffee market hedges against fluctuating costs on the New York and London commodity exchanges and the Coffee Exchange Hall is used solely for functions and events in the coffee industry.