[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ module_class=”reverse-columns-mobile” _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ text_font=”roboto-regular||||||||” text_text_color=”#003a7c” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”||15px||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]Credits: Bremenports, J. M\u00dcLLER[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” bottom_divider_style=”waves2″ bottom_divider_color=”#DFE6EE” bottom_divider_height=”152px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ custom_margin=”||75px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]Given the current geopolitical crises and their impacts on commodity flows and routes, a little positivity could do some good. And Vincent Clerc, Head of the Danish shipping company Maersk, was only too happy to oblige in his speech to mark the 482nd Schaffermahlzeit (seafarer\u2019s banquet) in Bremen this February. \u201cAs we look back on the past year, it\u2019s worth acknowledging the resilience of global trade,\u201d he says, adding that, despite all the headlines, commodity flows did not grind to a halt. \u201cConsumer demand is not shaped by trade conflicts or tariff rhetoric.\u201d After all, people still want to buy things.<\/p>\n
The lion\u2019s share of commodity flows through the major trade corridors of the Far East and the North Atlantic. According to figures of the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), freight handling increased by 3.8 per cent to 284.4 million tonnes in 2025, driven primarily by the receipt of goods from abroad, which increased from 5.3 per cent to 171.1 million tonnes. In contrast, freight transport grew by just 0.5 per cent. In other words, Germany\u2019s ocean imports expanded much more than its exports. The shift in energy imports was particularly strong, with the receipt of US natural gas increasing by 51.8 per cent and the import of crude oil from the US dropping by 23.6 per cent.<\/p>\n
Among recipient countries, Norway again led the way at the Bremen ports in 2025 with 4.36 million tonnes, followed by China with 3.49 million tonnes. The People\u2019s Republic thus grew significantly compared to 2023 (2.61 million tonnes) and 2024 (3.05 million tonnes), underlining its growing significance as an export country. Poland secured third place with 2.99 million tonnes, whilst the US remained stable with 1.71 million tonnes, achieving seventh place as in the year prior, compared with sixth place in 2024.<\/p>\n
At 4.90 million TEU, container transshipment at the Bremen ports made significant recovery in 2025, compared to 4.18 million TEU in 2023 and 4.45 million TEU in 2024. Most remarkable is the increase in traffic to the Far East, from 630,000 the year prior to 732,000 TEU, and to the Middle East, up from 313,000 to 327,000 TEU in the same period. At 344,000 TEU, Africa maintained a high level, whilst the North Atlantic stabilised at 730,000 TEU.<\/p>\n
The structural change continued in vehicle transshipment, for which Bremerhaven is Europe\u2019s second largest port. A total of 805,162 vehicles were dispatched in 2025, compared with 864,843 in 2024. Import of Asian vehicles, in particular, trended in the opposite direction, increasing from 387,915 the previous year to 446,561.<\/p>\n
There were also significant changes in commodity flows at Lower Saxony\u2019s seaports, which at 60.5 million tonnes handled nine per cent more in 2025 than in 2024. Most remarkable is the change in energy sources. Whilst LNG increased by 36 per cent and fuels by 18 per cent in Wilhelmshaven, the handling of crude oil dropped by 17 per cent.<\/p>\n
At 1.47 million TEU, JadeWeserPort handled 74 per cent more containers than in the previous year, reinforcing its role in container transport. This development is primarily down to the Gemini Cooperation between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, which has transformed Wilhelmshaven into its German hub.<\/p>\n
Andreas Bullwinkel, President of Wilhelmshavener Hafenwirtschafts-Vereinigung, has observed concrete shifts in fast-moving consumer goods. \u201cThe FMCG segment from Asia to Wilhelmshaven has increased significantly due to tariff issues,\u201d he says, adding that the same applies to the automotive segment. \u201cHere, too, the volume of passenger cars shipping from Chinese production to Wilhelmshaven has expanded dramatically.\u201d European car manufacturers also used Wilhelmshaven more frequently as a destination port. Like potential military applications, he also views the planned multi-purpose terminal for RoRo and wind turbine handling as well as the planned permanent facility for liquefied gases as opportunities.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ module_class=”dtb-sticky” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_sidebar area=”et_pb_widget_area_7″ show_border=”off” admin_label=”Werbung Startseite \/ Artikel” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_sidebar][et_pb_sidebar area=”et_pb_widget_area_9″ show_border=”off” admin_label=”Werbung Artikel” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_sidebar][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ custom_padding=”0px||0px|||” top_divider_style=”waves2″ top_divider_color=”#DFE6EE” top_divider_height=”99px” bottom_divider_style=”waves2″ bottom_divider_color=”#DFE6EE” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ custom_margin=”75px||25px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Geopolitical disruptions are also apparent in the flow of goods in Brake, a central bulk and general cargo port on the German North Sea coast. \u201cThe Ukraine War has significantly shifted commodity flows in agricultural and bulk cargo, in particular,\u201d reports Uwe Schiemann, Managing Director of J. M\u00dcLLER Weser, adding that traditional ocean shipments of grains and agricultural products from Ukraine have largely ground to a halt, as alternative flows from other Eastern European countries are unable to offset the loss in volume. But Schiemann expects volumes to bounce back after the war, restoring Ukraine\u2019s significance as a breadbasket. <\/p>\n
Marc-Simon Vick, Managing Director of Area Germany & Central Europe at Hapag-Lloyd, sees the impacts of geopolitical disruption particularly in individual goods segments. Energy-intensive industries like the chemicals segment are under pressure due to high energy costs, and European export industries have seen a drop in demand from Asia. Both factors are reflected in declining volumes. Industrial supply chains, on the other hand, have remained stable. [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.logistics-pilot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Raupen-Schiffsluke-c-J.MUeLLER_1200.jpg” alt=”A view into the hold of a ship loaded with animal feed, where tracked vehicles are unloading the cargo. ” title_text=”Removing a ship loaded with animal feed using crawler vehicles” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||15px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ text_font=”roboto-regular||||||||” text_text_color=”#003a7c” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”||15px||false|false” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|tablet” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]In Brake, a vessel carrying animal feed is unloaded using bulldozers.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ custom_margin=”||75px||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]Flexibility is increasing in trade routes: \u201cTransatlantic transport has stabilised following a temporary period of fluctuation and is continuing to expand due to close economic ties.\u201d Things are different along this route: \u201cEuropean export to Asia has been on the decline for some time now, which is also reflected in the volume transported.\u201d Vick expects new trade agreements with growth markets in South Asia and South America to provide fresh impetus over the medium term.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir development is shaped not only by global trends, but also by deliberate management within the networks,\u201d says Vick, explaining what that means for German ports \u2013 particularly Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven. \u201cBy adding new connections and actively directing traffic flows, individual ports can expand their activities and tap into new growth potential.\u201d (cb)<\/em>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ module_class=”dtb-sticky” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Global trade routes often face pressure. And yet trade continues \u2013 even if along different paths. Current figures and voices in the industry reveal what that means for the Bremen and Lower Saxony seaports.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":71168,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-logistics-story-en"],"yoast_head":"\n