The Port of Hamburg achieved a noticeable rise in container handling in the first half of 2025. According to Hafen Hamburg Marketing, 4.2 million standard containers were processed in the first six months, an increase of 9.3 percent compared with the previous year. Imports rose by 11.6 percent, while exports grew by 6.9 percent. On a tonnage basis, the containerized general cargo throughput grew by 6.8 percent to 41.2 million tons.
Overall, seagoing goods throughput reached 57.8 million tons. That represents a growth of 3.6 percent compared with the previous year. The container throughput was particularly strong, rising by 9.3 percent to 4.2 million standard containers. In imports, an increase of 11.6 percent was recorded, while exports rose by 6.9 percent. On a tonnage basis, containerized general cargo throughput rose to 41.2 million tons, corresponding to a growth of 6.8 percent.
Differences in bulk cargo
In the liquid cargo segment, 4.7 million
tons were moved, an increase of 10.3 percent. Conversely, the throughput of grab cargo declined by 6.6 percent to 8.5 million tons, and agricultural commodities fell by 13.9 percent to 2.9 million tons. The decline in the agricultural sector was mainly due to a pronounced drop in grain exports of 80.8 percent to 852,000 tons. The import of oilseeds, however, rose by 8.9 percent to 1.7 million tons.
Markets in Asia and the Baltic region
The growth in container throughput was driven in particular by the Far East and the Baltic Sea regions. According to the port, volume in trade with the Far East rose by 10.7 percent to 1.8 million standard containers. In the Baltic region, throughput increased by 20.8 percent to 734,000 standard containers.
Within Asia, Malaysia registered particularly strong growth of 93.2 percent to 169,000 standard containers. India, with a plus of 41.6 percent to 137,000 standard containers, and
China with an increase of 10.5 percent to 1.2 million standard containers also contributed significantly to the result. In the Baltic region, Denmark grew by 36.0 percent to 98,000 standard containers, Finland by 20.1 percent to 125,000 standard containers, and Poland by 28.8 percent to 182,000 standard containers positively.
Only the United States showed among the major partner countries a decline of 19.3 percent to 275,000 standard containers. The cause was probably disruptions caused by the US administration's trade policy.
More calls by large container ships
In the first half of 2025, 0.7 percent more ships with container cargo called at the Port of Hamburg than in the comparative period 2024. Calls of large container ships with a capacity of more than 10,000 standard containers rose particularly strongly. They increased by 51.6 percent to 285 calls. Ships with a capacity of more than 24,000 standard containers reached 127 calls, a rise of
29.6 percent.
The positive development is also due to new liner services that connect Hamburg with sailing areas in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, the Far East and India. In addition, container lines have better adapted to rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope, so that the number of ship calls has stabilized.
Hinterland and transshipment on the upswing
The development in container throughput also affected hinterland traffic. According to the Hamburg Port Authority, volume increased by 2.2 percent to 2.6 million standard containers. Growth was particularly strong in transshipment, which rose by 23.8 percent to 1.6 million standard containers.
Since April, larger ship widths have been tested in the Begegnungsbox near Wedel. This, according to the Hamburg Port Authority, enables a more flexible design of ship traffic. In addition, the authority has initiated projects with the transformation of the Waltershof port and the expansion of the hub to secure the port's
