Bremen port cargo throughput increased during the first half of 2026, with both Bremen and Bremerhaven contributing to the growth.
The two port locations handled 34.5 million tonnes of seaborne cargo between January and June. This represented an increase of 5.9% compared with the same period in 2025.
Container throughput reached approximately 2.6 million TEUs during the first six months of the year. Volumes increased by 5.7% year on year.
Vehicle throughput also returned to growth. The ports handled around 614,000 vehicles, an increase of 2.4%.
“The positive development in port throughput is an important signal for our economic hub. The ports of Bremen and Bremerhaven are key hubs for supplying businesses and facilitating international trade,” said Kristina Vogt, Senator for Economic Affairs, Ports and Transformation of the City of Bremen.
“To continue fulfilling this role successfully in the future, it remains essential to invest in efficient and future-proof port infrastructure. The current throughput figures underline how important these investments are for the location and its competitiveness,” she added.
General cargo throughput increased by 5.4% to approximately 30.2 million tonnes.
Non-containerised general cargo rose by 9.8% to 3.5 million tonnes. Meanwhile, iron and steel volumes increased by 24.1% to approximately 851,000 tonnes.
Bulk cargo throughput reached around 4.3 million tonnes, representing growth of 9.6%.
“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,” said Robert Howe, Managing Director of bremenports.
“Throughput is growing in key areas, particularly in container traffic. This is a strong signal of the performance of our ports as well as the quality and efficiency of the logistics services we provide to our customers,” he added.
Bremerhaven handled approximately 29.2 million tonnes between January and June. This represented an increase of 5.3% from the first half of 2025.
Bremen’s city ports recorded around 5.3 million tonnes, up 9.3%.
Bremerhaven remained Germany’s second-largest seaport by cargo throughput. The Port of Hamburg handled 56.1 million tonnes during the first half of 2026, down 3.1% year on year.
