Bremen and Bremerhaven ports report a 5.7% rise in container traffic, handling 2.6 million TEU in H1 2026, showcasing strong maritime growth.
The twin ports of Bremen and Bremerhaven, together forming Germany's second-largest seaport complex by cargo volume, handled approximately 2.6 million TEU in the first half of 2026, a 5.7% increase over the same period a year earlier, according to figures released by port management company bremenports on 21 August.
Total seaborne cargo throughput across the two locations rose 5.9% year-on-year to 34.5 million tonnes, extending a period of steady growth for the northern German ports.
Bremerhaven accounted for the largest share of the volume, handling approximately 29.2 million tonnes, an increase of 5.3% compared with the first half of 2025. Bremen's city ports recorded the sharper relative gain, moving around 5.3 million tonnes, up 9.3% year-on-year.
General cargo throughput, the ports' core segment, climbed 5.4% to 30.2 million tonnes. Within that category, non-containerised general cargo advanced 9.8% to 3.5 million tonnes. Bulk cargo grew 9.6% to 4.3 million tonnes, while vehicle throughput increased 2.4% to approximately 614,000 units.
Robert Howe, Managing Director of bremenports, credited the results to strength across the ports' principal business lines. 'The figures for the first half of the year show that the ports of Bremen and Bremerhaven are well positioned even in a challenging market environment,' he said. 'Throughput is growing in key areas, particularly in container traffic.'
The performance stands in contrast to that of the Port of Hamburg, Germany's largest port, which reported a 3.1% year-on-year decline in total throughput to 56.1 million tonnes over the same period. The divergence underscores a widening gap between the country's leading container gateways as they navigate shifting trade conditions.
The first-half figures reinforce the position of Bremen and Bremerhaven as a critical node in Germany's maritime trade network, with container handling emerging as the clearest driver of the ports' continued expansion.
