Mega-Ships, Congestion and the Suez Wildcard: Hamburg’s Plan for 2026

Hamburg is gearing up for a turbulent few years in global container shipping. In this episode, Mike King speaks with Mathias Schulz, Director of Communications at Port of Hamburg Marketing, about the port’s major 2025–26 investment programme — including the enlarged turning basin, terminal expansion, and Hamburg’s push to speed up mega-ship operations. Schultz explains how Hamburg is managing congestion, the impact of strikes across the Northern Range, and why a potential reopening of the Suez Canal to container traffic could trigger fresh chaos. We also dig into shifting trade flows: Asia booming, the transatlantic lane slumping, and the Baltic region surprising on the upside. With rail bottlenecks, digitalisation plans, and the uncertainty facing European consumers, Hamburg is preparing for a complex 2026. Schultz lays out what shippers, forwarders, and carriers should expect next. This episode is sponsored by Ontegos Cloud. #HamburgPort #ContainerShipping #OceanFreight #SupplyChain #PortCongestion #MegaShips #SuezCanal #ShippingNews