Hamburg cooperates closely with the other ports on the Elbe River, Cuxhaven, Brunsbüttel and Glückstadt, as well as with the Baltic Sea ports Lübeck and Kiel. This cooperation is intended to help meet new logistical challenges in the future. The ports act together as a Northern European metropolitan area in competing on the international market.

The port in Lübeck and Lübeck-Travemünde functions as an important link between Hamburg and the whole Baltic Sea region.Germany’s largest Baltic Sea port handles over 31 million metric tons of cargo annually and provides more than 150 departures per week to Scandinavia, Finland, Russia and the Baltic countries, as well as to the USA. Ferries and Ro-Ro traffic are particularly important.

The seaport in Kiel is among the most flexible and economic ports on the Baltic Sea.Its favourable geographic position, channels deep enough for seafaring ships the whole way and direct access to rail and road networks make the post attractive for both cargo and passenger services. The port also profits from its position at the entrance to the Kiel Canal, the man-made waterway with the heaviest traffic worldwide.

CuxPort in Cuxhaven is a multifunction terminal located close to the international shipping routes between Western Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltic.

Brunsbüttel Ports GmbH

The Port Group Brunsbüttel – which includes the Elbeport, the Oilport and the Port of Ostermoor – and its range of maritime services centred on commercial shipping have developed continuously.