German Seaport Cargo Handling Rises 3.8% in 2025, Led by Hamburg

German Seaports

Cargo handling up 3.8% in 2025

Hamburg leads with 99.8M tons handled

LNG imports surge 49%, US is top supplier

Stock video by 8682001 via Pixabay

Mar 10, 2026

German Seaport Cargo Handling Rises 3.8% in 2025, Led by Hamburg

According to data from the Federal Statistical Office, cargo handling in German seaports increased by 3.8% in 2025 compared to the previous year. A total of 284.4 million tons of goods were loaded and unloaded.

The reception of goods from abroad grew by 5.3% to 171.1 million tons, while the dispatch of goods abroad saw a more modest increase of 0.5% to 103.7 million tons. Domestic traffic, despite a 15.7% increase, accounted for a small portion of the total at 9.6 million tons.

Leading Ports and Cargo Composition

Hamburg remained the strongest port with 99.8 million tons handled, followed by Bremerhaven, Wilhelmshaven, Rostock, and Lübeck. The largest category of goods was non-identifiable freight, predominantly container loads, at 87.9 million tons or 30.9% of the total. Fossil energy carriers like coal, crude oil, and natural gas followed at 40.5 million tons, representing 14.2% of total seaborne cargo.

Shifts in Fossil Fuel Imports

The total receipt of fossil energy carriers by sea was 39.8 million tons, slightly below the 2024 level. Within this category, crude oil receipts fell by 10.8% to 25.4 million tons, while coal receipts rose 2.6% to 7.0 million tons and natural gas receipts surged 49.1% to 7.4 million tons.

The United States was the most important supplier country for natural gas shipped to Germany, with deliveries rising by 51.8% to 6.5 million tons. The U.S. also became the leading supplier of crude oil by sea, despite a 23.6% decrease in deliveries to approximately 5.6 million tons. This shift occurred because deliveries from Norway fell more sharply. The U.S. was also the primary supplier of coal by sea.

Top Trading Partners and Container Traffic

Overall seaborne goods traffic with the United States declined by 3.6% to 28.7 million tons, yet the U.S. remained Germany's most important maritime trading partner. Norway and Sweden ranked second and third, respectively. China held the fourth position. Container handling reached 15.0 million TEU, an increase of 12.4%. China was the most significant partner for container traffic, accounting for 3.0 million TEU, while container traffic with the U.S. declined.

Trade with Persian Gulf States

Direct cargo handling with states bordering the Persian Gulf accounted for 1.4% of Germany's total seaport turnover in 2025. Goods traffic with Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia constituted the largest volumes within this region. No seaborne goods traffic was recorded with Iran. The nature of traded goods varied by country, with outbound shipments of non-identifiable container goods dominating traffic to Oman and the UAE, while liquid mineral oil products were the primary inbound shipments from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar.

1. INTRODUCTION

Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business
1. REPORT DESCRIPTION
2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND THE AI PLATFORM
3. DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
4. GLOSSARY AND SPECIFIC TERMS
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A Quick Overview of Market Performance
1. KEY FINDINGS
2. MARKET TRENDSThis Chapter is Available Only for the Professional EditionPRO
3. MARKET OVERVIEW

Understanding the Current State of The Market and its Prospects
1. MARKET SIZE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
2. MARKET STRUCTURE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
3. TRADE BALANCE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
4. PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
5. MARKET FORECAST TO 2035
4. MOST PROMISING PRODUCTS FOR DIVERSIFICATION

Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business
- This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional EditionPRO
1. TOP PRODUCTS TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS
2. BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS
3. MOST CONSUMED PRODUCTS
4. MOST TRADED PRODUCTS
5. MOST PROFITABLE PRODUCTS FOR EXPORTS
5. MOST PROMISING SUPPLYING COUNTRIES

Choosing the Best Countries to Establish Your Sustainable Supply Chain
- This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional EditionPRO
1. TOP COUNTRIES TO SOURCE YOUR PRODUCT
2. TOP PRODUCING COUNTRIES
3. TOP EXPORTING COUNTRIES
4. LOW-COST EXPORTING COUNTRIES
6. MOST PROMISING OVERSEAS MARKETS

Choosing the Best Countries to Boost Your Export
- This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional EditionPRO
1. TOP OVERSEAS MARKETS FOR EXPORTING YOUR PRODUCT
2. TOP CONSUMING MARKETS
3. UNSATURATED MARKETS
4. TOP IMPORTING MARKETS
5. MOST PROFITABLE MARKETS
7. PRODUCTION

The Latest Trends and Insights into The Industry
1. PRODUCTION VOLUME AND VALUE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
8. IMPORTS

The Largest Import Supplying Countries
1. IMPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
2. IMPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025)
3. IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025)
9. EXPORTS

The Largest Destinations for Exports
1. EXPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
2. EXPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025)
3. EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025)
10. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS

The Largest Producers on The Market and Their Profiles
- This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional EditionPRO
LIST OF TABLES
1. Key Findings In 2025
2. Market Volume, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
3. Market Value: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
4. Per Capita Consumption: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
5. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2025
6. Imports, In Value Terms, By Country, 2012–2025
7. Import Prices, By Country, 2012–2025
8. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2025
9. Exports, In Value Terms, By Country, 2012–2025
10. Export Prices, By Country, 2012–2025
LIST OF FIGURES
1. Market Volume, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
2. Market Value: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
3. Market Structure – Domestic Supply vs. Imports, in Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
4. Market Structure – Domestic Supply vs. Imports, in Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
5. Trade Balance, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
6. Trade Balance, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
7. Per Capita Consumption: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
8. Market Volume Forecast to 2035
9. Market Value Forecast to 2035
10. Market Size and Growth, By Product
11. Average Per Capita Consumption, By Product
12. Exports and Growth, By Product
13. Export Prices and Growth, By Product
14. Production Volume and Growth
15. Exports and Growth
16. Export Prices and Growth
17. Market Size and Growth
18. Per Capita Consumption
19. Imports and Growth
20. Import Prices
21. Production, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
22. Production, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
23. Imports, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
24. Imports, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
25. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2025
26. Imports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2025
27. Imports, In Value Terms, By Country, 2012–2025
28. Import Prices, By Country, 2012–2025
29. Exports, In Physical Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
30. Exports, In Value Terms: Historical Data (2012–2025) and Forecast (2026–2035)
31. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2025
32. Exports, In Physical Terms, By Country, 2012–2025
33. Exports, In Value Terms, By Country, 2012–2025
34. Export Prices, By Country, 2012–2025

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