Hamburg, 12 November 2026 – The Port of Hamburg stabilised its cargo handling figures in the third quarter of 2026 and, thanks to an improvement in the third quarter, partially offset the declines seen in the first half of the year. Total cargo handling at Germany’s largest seaport stood at 84.5 million tonnes in the first nine months of the year. The slightly weaker performance compared with the same period last year (-2.6 per cent) was primarily due to weather-related losses at the start of the year, disruptions in the global oil market in the wake of the war in Iran and, most recently, strikes, all of which have impacted total cargo handling figures for the first three quarters. Added to this were extensive modernisation measures at the container terminals. However, these will strengthen the Port of Hamburg’s performance and competitiveness in the long term and lay the foundations for future growth.
Port of Hamburg cargo handling reaches 84.5 million tonnes through Q3 2026
The Port of Hamburg stabilised its cargo handling in the third quarter of 2026, partially offsetting first-half declines. Total cargo handling stood at 84.5 million tonnes in the first nine months of the year, down 2.6 per cent year on year. Container throughput reached 6.1 million TEU, with TEU volumes down 2.8 per cent. Weather losses, disruptions in the global oil market linked to the war in Iran, strikes and terminal modernisation measures weighed on results.
6.1 million TEU container throughput in the first three quarters of 2026
In the third quarter, the situation regarding container throughput improved significantly compared with the situation at the end of the first half of the year. In the first nine months of the year, a total of 6.1 million TEU were handled at the Port of Hamburg (compared with the same period last year: -2.8 per cent in TEU or -2.6 per cent in tonnes).
The number of TEUs handled increased with Singapore (+9.3 per cent), India (+7.8 per cent), Finland (+15.7 per cent) and Sri Lanka (+3.7 per cent). Persistent trade barriers continue to hamper trade with the USA (-9.8 per cent compared with the same period last year); with the Port of Hamburg’s largest trading partner, China, the volume is now almost back at the previous year’s level (-0.6 per cent). The declines evident among many trading partners at the end of the second quarter were partially offset in the course of the third quarter.
Dry bulk cargo continues to grow
At the end of the third quarter, bulk cargo throughput totalled 23.9 million tonnes, down -2.6 per cent on the same period last year. Within the segment, however, the positive trend in dry bulk cargo continued, with handling volumes rising by +1.7 per cent thanks to a continued significant recovery in grain exports and ore imports. As a result, dry bulk cargo was able to partially offset the decline in liquid bulk cargo (-13.3 per cent).
The pressure on global energy markets caused by the war in Iran has, since April, led to lower mineral oil imports across the whole of Germany and a significant increase in domestic refinery production.
Handling of conventional general cargo grows thanks to machinery (and parts) and vehicles
A positive trend in other general cargo and vehicles led to a reversal of the previous downward trend in the segment during the third quarter (now +2.0 per cent and a total of 853 thousand tonnes).
Hamburg Port Authority
Since 2005, the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) has been providing forward-looking, one-stop port management and is active in all areas relating to efficiency, safety and cost-effectiveness at the Port of Hamburg. The HPA meets the port’s growing demands with intelligent and innovative solutions. The HPA is responsible for the efficient, resource-conserving and sustainable planning and implementation of infrastructure projects in the port and acts as the point of contact for all matters relating to water- and land-side infrastructure, the safety and smooth flow of shipping traffic, port railway facilities, property management and economic conditions within the port. To this end, the HPA provides the necessary land and undertakes all public authority tasks and port-related services. It markets specialist, port-specific expertise and also represents Hamburg’s port interests at national and international level.
