The number of calls by large container vessels — with capacities exceeding 10,000 TEU — increased significantly across all size classes compared with the previous year. In 2025, the Port of Hamburg benefited from the restructuring of shipping alliances and was able to attract additional liner services.

A further driver behind the growing number of calls in the larger vessel segments has been the adjustment of shipping routes, with container carriers increasingly rerouting traffic to avoid the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.

In addition, 2025 saw improvements in nautical access conditions: maximum permissible draughts on the River Elbe between the North Sea and Hamburg were increased, and wider passing arrangements in the designated ‘passing box’ were successfully tested.