Positive year for Hamburg despite grain downturn

(Posted on 26/02/26)

The Port of Hamburg can look back on a positive year in 2025. With a total throughput of 114.6 million tonnes, Germany's largest seaport recorded a year-on-year increase of 2.6 percent.

At 32.4 million tonnes, throughput in the bulk goods segment experienced a year-on-year decline of 1.7 percent. While throughput of liquid bulk rose slightly by 0.7 percent, the figures for dry bulk fell by 2.7 percent. Grain throughput dropped by 45.8 percent due to lower exports. Throughput of fertilisers (-5.6%) and ores (-4.3%) also experienced a downturn. In contrast, there was a significant increase in the throughput of building materials (+19.5%), other dry goods (+17.1%) and chemicals (+16.3%). The quarterly trend is indicative of a volatile year: Q1: +0.4% | Q2: -6.6% | Q3: +4.1% | Q4: -4.6%

A total of 8.3 million TEU were handled at the Port of Hamburg in 2025, which is equivalent to growth of 7.3 percent. Container throughput according to tonnage rose by 4.6 percent. Each quarter was significantly higher than the same quarter in the previous year: Q1: +6.3% | Q2: +12.4% | Q3: +6.7% | Q4: +3.9%

The upward trend in the container segment was driven in particular by traffic with China (+6.5%), Malaysia (+84.3%) and India (+49.2%). The Northern Europe trade lane (Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden) – an important contributor to transshipment transport – also showed a positive trend and recorded growth of 21.2 percent. Container throughput with the USA developed in the opposite direction. Among other factors, sweeping US tariffs led to a significant decline of 25.6 percent in 2025.

Friedrich Stuhrmann, Chief Commercial Officer at HPA: “We can look back on a successful year in 2025 at the Port of Hamburg. As Germany's largest seaport, we were able to continue our positive development and record noticeable growth momentum, especially in the container segment. The continuous increase across all quarters underscores the location’s strong competitiveness and the vigorous demand in international goods traffic."

Axel Mattern, Chief Executive Officer, Port of Hamburg Marketing: “The positive throughput result is clearly indicative of the Port of Hamburg's competitiveness and the attractiveness of the services offered here. We feel particularly positive about the almost 50 percent increase in container throughput with India, which has emerged from the free trade agreement now signed between the EU and India.”

The Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) has been operating a future-oriented port management system from a single source since 2005 and is active wherever efficiency, safety and economic efficiency are concerned in the Port of Hamburg. The HPA meets the growing demands of the port with intelligent and innovative solutions. The HPA is responsible for the efficient, resource-saving and sustainable planning and implementation of infrastructure measures in the port and is the point of contact for all questions regarding water and land-side infrastructure, the safety and ease of shipping traffic, port railway facilities, real estate management and economic conditions in the port.

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