On 23 April 2026, senior representatives from ports, industry, and policy institutions across the Baltic Sea Region convened in Hamburg for the workshop “From Ports to Green Corridors: Energy Transition and Decarbonisation in Transport.” The event took place at the HHLA Container Terminal Tollerort, highlighting Hamburg’s role as a central hub for sustainable maritime innovation.  

Participants highlighted the need for long-term regulatory stability as a central driver of decarbonisation and the energy transition, alongside stronger regional collaboration to share best practices, coordinate investments, and develop scalable solutions. Discussions also emphasised the importance of further promoting efficiency gains and ensuring continued funding for pilot projects. A key takeaway was that sustainable port and logistics infrastructure are essential contributors to a resilient Baltic Sea Region.

The workshop was organised by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg – Senate Chancellery – Baltic Sea Strategy Point in cooperation with Port of Hamburg Marketing, with kind support from Hamburg Port and Logistics AG (HHLA).

Strategic Focus on Decarbonisation and Cooperation

Ports are critical geopolitical assets and key enablers of Europe’s energy transition. Against this backdrop, the workshop aimed to strengthen the visibility of port-related challenges within the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and to foster enhanced cross-sectoral collaboration among policy areas such as energy, transport, safety, and shipping.

The programme featured a series of expert-led sessions addressing both operational realities and long-term transformation pathways. Discussions focused on:

• The current status of decarbonisation efforts at the Port of Hamburg, including investments in onshore power supply, alternative fuel infrastructure, and green shipping corridors
• Market perspectives on emerging fuels such as methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen
• The role of hinterland connectivity and rail infrastructure in enabling sustainable logistics chains
• Efficiency gains through digital coordination and cross-sector collaboration
• Operational challenges in decarbonising shipping from an industry perspective

Platform for Policy Dialogue and Regional Alignment

A central component of the workshop was a structured dialogue with Policy Area Coordinators of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region. Participants jointly identified key challenges facing ports in the Baltic Sea Region and explored actionable solutions, including improved governance mechanisms, project development frameworks, and pathways to better integrate regional insights into EU-level policymaking.

The event also examined how the Strategy could further evolve to support more effective and sustained cooperation across sectors and national boundaries. Particular emphasis was placed on developing scalable project ideas and strengthening institutional linkages between stakeholders.

Facilitating Exchange Between Industry and Policymakers

By bringing together port authorities, logistics operators, energy providers, and policymakers, the workshop served as a targeted platform for knowledge exchange and strategic alignment. The format combined expert presentations, moderated discussions, and interactive sessions designed to generate concrete outcomes and cooperation opportunities.

The programme concluded with a guided harbour boat tour hosted by Port of Hamburg Marketing, providing participants with direct insight into port operations and ongoing transformation efforts.

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Port of Hamburg Beteiligungsgesellschaft SE (PoH) has set the cash settlement for the class A shares of the minority shareholders of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) (ISIN: DE000A0S8488) to be transferred as part of the squeeze-out under stock corporation law at € 21.16. PoH, whose shares are held by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the MSC Group, holds more than 95 percent of HHLA’s shares and is thus the majority shareholder within the meaning of Section 327a of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG).

On 5 January 2026, PoH had notified the HHLA Executive Board that it intended to transfer the HHLA class A shares held by minority shareholders to PoH in exchange for an appropriate cash compensation. The amount of the cash compensation was determined based on statutory provisions and current case law, which takes into account the average price of the class A share over the three months preceding the announcement of the squeeze-out. In addition, an independent business valuation was conducted. The adequacy of the cash compensation was reviewed by a court-appointed auditor.

The squeeze-out under stock corporation law becomes effective upon approval by the Annual General Meeting and entry in the Commercial Register. The Annual General Meeting will take place on 11 June 2026. The notice of the meeting will be announced separately.

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Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM) has officially integrated its new representative office in Dubai into its international network. Since January 2026, HHM has been strengthening its presence in one of the most important growth regions of global trade with the “Port of Hamburg Representative Office Dubai” (HHR Dubai). The Gulf region not only serves as a central hub between Europe, Asia and Africa, but is also gaining strategic importance in the context of future energy sources and evolving supply chain structures. 

The region’s economic momentum is reflected in the Port of Hamburg: container traffic between Hamburg and the UAE/Red Sea/Gulf increased by 28.8 per cent to approximately 130,000 TEU in the first nine months of 2025 compared with the same period in the previous year. With the United Arab Emirates alone — the region’s strongest partner country in direct container traffic — the Port of Hamburg recorded a market share of almost 80 per cent among German seaports in the 2024 calendar year.

New and expanded liner services indicate continued positive throughput development. At the same time, the Gulf region is becoming increasingly relevant as a future market for renewable energy. Significant investments in solar and wind energy, as well as in the development of green hydrogen value chains, are positioning the region as an important partner. The Port of Hamburg is expected to play a role both as a handling location for project cargo and, in the longer term, as a destination port for green energy carriers.

A platform for companies and strategic cooperation

The “Hamburg Representative Office UAE and Gulf Region” — the official name of the office, which is supported by several institutions — serves as a central point of contact for companies based in Hamburg and for member companies of HHM. Its partners include the Senate Chancellery of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, the Ministry of Economy, Labour and Innovation, the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, Hamburg Tourism, Hamburg Messe und Congress, and Port of Hamburg Marketing.

The representative office is headed by Kirsten Staab, who has been active in the region for more than 25 years and has led the Hamburg Representative Office since 2008. “It can be assumed that blue and green hydrogen, as well as their derivatives from the Gulf region, will play an increasingly important role in Germany’s supply of alternative energy sources in the future. This makes it all the more important for the Port of Hamburg to maintain a presence in the region as a hydrogen import hub and to be perceived as a strong partner,” says Kirsten Staab, Head of the Hamburg Representative Office in Dubai.

“We are pleased to have Kirsten Staab as an experienced point of contact with extensive regional expertise and a broad network, supporting our members in entering the markets of the UAE and the Gulf region,” states Hendrik Meyn, CEO of HHM.

A further focus of the Representative Office lies in strategic dialogue with local market participants and in establishing long-term, trust-based partnerships between the Port of Hamburg and organisations in the Gulf states. These cooperations are intended to strengthen resilient supply chains and to further position Hamburg as an internationally connected port location.

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Dear Sir or Madam,

Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM) and the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) cordially invite you to a media call on the occasion of the publication of the latest cargo throughput and traffic development figures at the Port of Hamburg in 2025. In the future, the publication of statistics and results relating to cargo throughput at the Port of Hamburg will be carried out by the HPA through quarterly reports.

Friedrich Stuhrmann, Chief Commercial Officer of the HPA, and Axel Mattern, CEO of HHM, will be available during the media call to answer your questions and provide insights regarding the 2025 annual figures on cargo handling and traffic development.

• Date: Thursday, 19 February 2026
• Time: 3:00 PM
• Location: Microsoft Teams

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Port of Hamburg: Throughput figures for 2025 at a glance

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. The significant upturn in the container segment was a key factor in this development.

Significant growth in container throughput – 8.3 million TEU in 2025

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%

Strong contribution from China, India and Southeast Asia – decline in US traffic

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.

Bulk cargo throughput below previous year’s level – downturn in grain

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%

Note to editors

In future, statistics and results relating to cargo throughput in the Port of Hamburg will be published uniformly by the HPA in quarterly reports.

The persons responsible for the Port of Hamburg provide a comprehensive overview of developments at the Port of Hamburg during the annual State of the Port press conference, which is always held at the end of September/beginning of October. It is scheduled this year for week 40.

Assessment of the throughput results

Friedrich Stuhrmann, Chief Commercial Officer at HPA, and Axel Mattern, Chief Executive Officer of Port of Hamburg Marketing, will be available for a brief assessment of the results from a port management perspective in a call at 3 PM on 19 February 2026 (in German language). Invitations are circulated separately.

Friedrich Stuhrmann, CCO 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, CEO, 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 timing of this week’s trip to India by a business and port delegation led by Senator Leonhard could hardly have been better and will continue to promote Hamburg’s economic relationships with the subcontinent.”

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• Container throughput increases by 8.4 percent to 6.3 million TEU
• Seaborne cargo throughput grows 3.4 percent to 86.8 million tonnes
• Container hinterland transport on stable growth path

Throughput at the Port of Hamburg remains on a robust course after the third quarter of 2025. While US container transports continued to decline, the trade areas Asia and Europe continued their positive development.

Container throughput continuing to grow, bulk cargo throughput stable

Seaborne cargo throughput grew to 86.8 million tonnes in the months from January to September 2025 (+3.4 percent year-on-year). As in the first six months of the year, this growth was driven by a positive trend in container throughput, which rose to 6.3 million standard containers (TEU) (+8.4 percent). On a per-tonne basis, containerised general cargo throughput grew to 61.3 million tonnes (+5.4 percent).

Bulk cargo throughput was almost on a par with the same period of the previous year (-0.8 percent to 24.6 million tonnes). Positive impetus in the three months of the quarter was provided in particular by grab cargo (+9.4 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year), driven by stronger coal and ore imports (+16.4 percent and +3.8 percent respectively).

Growth with markets in Asia and Europe compensates for decline with USA

Growth in container throughput in the first three quarters continued to be driven by the Asia (+11.0 percent year-on-year) and Europe (+14.0 percent) trade areas. Container traffic with the USA continued to be affected by complications in trade, and this was reflected in a corresponding decline in throughput figures (-23.9 percent to 395,000 TEU). In the Asian region, by contrast, trade with China continued growing steadily to 1.8 million TEU (+7.9 percent). Malaysia (+89.8 percent to 273,000 TEU) continued to benefit from a growing hub function in Southeast Asia. Trade with India (+45.5 percent to 214,000 TEU) also consolidated its high growth rate and thus its importance for throughput in the Port of Hamburg. In intra-European trade, Denmark (+37.1 percent to 147,000 TEU), Finland (+26.5 percent to 195,000 TEU) and Poland (+18.9 percent to 276,000 TEU) are stand-out results.

Hinterland container throughput on the rise

In the third quarter, additional liner services with Southern Europe, the Mediterranean region and South America called at the Port of Hamburg for the first time, which had a positive impact on container throughput. Even after nine months, box throughput in the transhipment segment managed to maintain the growth of the first half of the year (+22.5 percent to 2.4 million TEU, compared to the same period of the previous year). The proportion of containers transported by rail remained at the same high level as the previous year (-0.5 percent, 2.0 million TEU). There was a continuing trend towards high capacity utilisation of container trains. Overall, the Port of Hamburg’s container hinterland transports increased to 3.9 million TEU (+1.4 percent).

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Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM) continues to strengthen its successful cooperation with Chinese port locations and this year hosted a roadshow featuring three roundtable events in Tianjin, Shenzhen and Shanghai. The event series, titled “German Logistics Roundtable”, was held in Shanghai alongside the China International Import Expo (CIIE), providing partner ports as well as companies from the logistics and industrial sectors with an exclusive platform for direct exchange.

China has long been by far the most important trading partner of the Port of Hamburg. With the roundtable in Shanghai, HHM held a key industry gathering in the metropolis for the sixth time. New additions to this year’s roadshow included events in Tianjin and Shenzhen, both major maritime economic hubs with which Hamburg maintains close relations. Shenzhen and Shanghai are also official partner ports of the Port of Hamburg.

The three events focused on key topics shaping the future of global supply chains, such as the green transformation of ports, progress in shore power supply and alternative fuels, and efforts to enhance resilience and efficiency in international transport networks. In addition, current projects in the port regions and the close cooperation between partners in Hamburg and China were discussed.

“With the roundtable events in China, we create space for strategic dialogue, deepen the exchange of knowledge between the world’s leading ports, and ultimately promote Asian-European trade. The partnership with our Chinese colleagues is a key element in building a sustainable and stable port industry,” said Inga Gurries, Head of Market Development Asia & Overseas at HHM.

Participants in the roadshow included representatives from Chinese port authorities, shipping companies, logistics service providers, and industrial enterprises. From Hamburg, the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA), Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), Eurogate, the China-focused logistics provider TSIT, and DB Cargo Transasia contributed to the discussions and networking sessions.

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From October 29–30, 2025, the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) hosted the 10th chainPORT Annual Meeting. Under the central theme “Resilience, Hybrid Threats, and Civil-Military Collaboration,” representatives from ten chainPORT ports discussed the role of port infrastructure operators in times of geopolitical tension.

Ports from Antwerp-Bruges, Barcelona, Busan, Gothenburg, Los Angeles, Rotterdam, Shanghai, Singapore, and Tanger Med joined the meeting in Hamburg.

Jens Meier, CEO of HPA and co-founder of the chainPORT initiative, stated: “Complex geopolitical developments require ports to assess their own security posture. The goal is to adapt crisis management and processes to better handle hybrid threats – not just individually and locally, but globally. Shared standards, information exchange, and resilience are key. Collaboration is one of our strongest tools: we need to meet each other, before we need each other.”

This year’s event provided participants from the international port industry with insights on “Security and Resilience” from various expert perspectives. Keynote speaker Stylianos Tzimis, Deputy Director Community of Interest Vulnerabilities and Resilience at the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE), emphasized the importance of building an integrated, resilient, and collaborative maritime security strategy for ports. “Hybrid threats are no longer exceptions in the port industry – they are the new normal. Ports must be prepared and approach potential scenarios through practical simulations to develop appropriate response plans – case by case, port by port,” Tzimis advised.

Brigadier General Rejanne Eimers-van Nes, Deputy Chief of Staff Communication and Engagement at the 1st German-Netherlands Corps, shared valuable insights into NATO’s perspective. Using examples from Scandinavian and Baltic countries, she highlighted the importance of resilience and a holistic defense approach to strengthen stability.

As usual, the chainPORT Annual Meeting also served to reflect on the outcomes of the chainPORT working groups “Supply Chain Resilience in Ports Taskforce,” “Cyber Resilience,” and the recent chainPORT Academy.

As Europe’s largest contiguous industrial area, Hamburg also offered international guests a site visit to the Airbus facility in Hamburg-Finkenwerder. Olaf Kamlah, Head of Business Operations at Airbus Aerostructures, provided insights into the commercial division and production of the Airbus A320, as well as the supply chain resilience of Europe’s largest aerospace company.

The chainPORT annual meeting concluded with a visit to the HPA’s Vessel Traffic Service Centre (VTS). David Gnutzmann, Deputy Harbor Master, explained the highly complex navigation along the Elbe to Hamburg and the importance of system redundancy and human resilience in the highly digitalized and integrated operations of the VTS.

chainPORT

chainPORT is a multilateral partnership of the world’s leading ports, aiming to leverage the latest technological developments and realize the vision of an intelligent, connected, and digital port ecosystem. Members are committed to sharing knowledge, fostering innovation, and promoting strategic topics.

chainPORT was initiated in April 2016 by the port authorities of Hamburg and Los Angeles in cooperation with the Global Institute of Logistics. The initiative is supported by the ports of Antwerp-Bruges, Barcelona, Busan, Gothenburg, Montreal, Rotterdam, Singapore, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Tanger Med.

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The Supervisory Board of Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM) has appointed economist Hendrik Meyn (38) as a new Executive Board Member. Together with Axel Mattern, he will form the now two-member executive team. Meyn, who previously worked for a shipping group, took up his new position on 1 November 2025.

Volker Werner, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of HHM, said:

“With Hendrik Meyn, we have gained an expert in the maritime industry for the HHM Executive Board. His professional experience and marketing expertise will be a valuable addition to HHM. His knowledge perfectly complements the work of Axel Mattern, who has led the Board alone for the past three and a half years.”

HHM CEO Axel Mattern added:

“I look forward to working with Hendrik Meyn. Together, we will use our expertise, experience and network to strengthen the port’s presence in global markets. This will enable us to enhance our marketing activities at home and abroad and to respond more effectively to changing demands.”

HHM CEO Hendrik Meyn commented:

“The Port is the heart of the Hamburg metropolitan region and a symbol of the city’s global connection. I am excited to work with Axel Mattern to drive new initiatives and further position the Port and its partners as strong and innovative players in the global network.”

Most recently, Hendrik Meyn spent four years as Director Group Brand and Marketing at the Harren Group, where he was responsible for corporate transformation and positioning the company as an international project logistics and shipping group. Prior to that, he worked for four and a half years as a management consultant, focusing on energy, industrial, and manufacturing technologies.

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• Container throughput increases by 9.3 percent to 4.2 million TEU
• Seaborne cargo throughput (57.8 million tonnes) up 3.6 percent
• Trade with the Far East and the Baltic Sea region drives growth
• Strong growth in transhipment
• Container hinterland transport shows stable upward trend

Despite continued subdued economic development and a tense geopolitical situation, the Port of Hamburg is showing stable growth and regained market share compared to the two major western ports in the first half of 2025. Strong growth in the container segment in the first half of 2025 contributed significantly to a solid increase in seaborne cargo throughput. Throughput of bulk goods and conventional general cargo decreased slightly. Moreover, new liner services strengthened Hamburg’s role in international sea freight transport. Container hinterland connections continued their positive development, while transhipment traffic recorded a very strong half-year result.
Container throughput drives growth

Seaborne cargo throughput grew to 57.8 million tonnes in the months from January to June 2025 (+3.6 percent year-on-year). This is largely due to strong growth of 9.3 percent in container throughput to 4.2 million standard containers (TEU). Double-digit growth of 11.6 percent was recorded for imports, while container throughput for exports increased by 6.9 percent. On a per-tonne basis, containerised general cargo throughput grew to 41.2 million tonnes (+6.8 percent). “We are delighted that the Port of Hamburg is able to benefit to this extent from new liner services and the restructuring of the shipping companies. In comparison with competing ports, Hamburg is thus able to set an extremely positive example and gain market share,” says Axel Mattern, CEO of Port of Hamburg Marketing.

Conventional general cargo throughput and bulk cargo throughput (-3.7 percent to
0.6 million tonnes and -3.8 percent to 16.0 million tonnes respectively) fell slightly in the first six months of the current year. There was an increase to 4.7 million tonnes (+10.3 percent) in the liquid cargo segment, but reductions in the grabbable cargo (-6.6 percent to 8.5 million tonnes) and agricultural goods (-13.9 percent to 2.9 million tonnes) segments. The declining demand for coal and ore had a renewed impact on the throughput of grabbable goods. In the agribulk sector, significantly lower grain exports (-80.8 percent to 852,000 tonnes) impacted the result, despite rising imports of oilseed crops (+8.9 percent to 1.7 million tonnes).

Markets in Asia and the Baltic Sea region show positive trends

The growth in container throughput was primarily generated by the Far East (+10.7 percent year-on-year to 1.8 million TEU) and Baltic Sea (+20.8 percent to 734,000 TEU) trade lanes. In Asia, Malaysia (+93.2 percent to 169,000 TEU), which benefited from changes in transhipment routes, India (+41.6 percent to 137,000 TEU) and China (+10.5 percent to 1.2 million TEU) proved to be strong growth markets for throughput in the Port of Hamburg. Container throughput increased significantly in trade with countries bordering the Baltic Sea, particularly with Denmark (+36.0 percent to 98,000 TEU), Finland (+20.1 percent to 125,000 TEU), and Poland (+28.8 percent to 182,000 TEU). Among the Port of Hamburg’s most important partner countries, only the USA recorded a decline (-19.3 percent to 275,000 TEU), which can also be attributed to the upheavals caused by the US administration’s trade policy.
More ship calls – in particular large container ships

Compared to the same period last year, a total of 0.7 percent more ships with capacity for container cargo called at the Port of Hamburg. The number of calls by large container ships with capacity for more than 10,000 TEU rose sharply again across all size classes (+51.6 percent to 285). Calls by ship units with capacities exceeding 24,000 TEU also recorded significant growth once again compared to the first half of 2024 (+29.6 percent to 127).

New liner services linking the Port of Hamburg with the Mediterranean, Middle East, Far East and India trade lanes had a positive impact. In addition, the container carriers have adapted better to rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope, such that the number of ship calls has stabilised.

Transhipment and container hinterland transport still on the upswing

The growth in throughput also had a positive impact on the Port of Hamburg’s container hinterland transport, which increased by 2.2 percent year-on-year to 2.6 million TEU. Transhipment throughput grew even more strongly. It amounted to 1.6 million TEU in the first half of 2025, which corresponds to growth of 23.8 percent.

“With renewed growth in container hinterland transport, the Port of Hamburg is maintaining a long-term trend. It will once again live up to its role as a hub between the markets in the Far East and Northern Europe, particularly the Baltic Sea region. The greater combined ship widths in the passing box off Wedel, which have been tested since April, now allow for a more flexible organisation of traffic. With the transformation of the Waltershofer Hafen and the associated expansion of the turning circle now underway, we are launching pioneering projects and sending important signals to ensure that these developments continue in the future,” explains Friedrich Stuhrmann, CCO at the Hamburg Port Authority.

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