Hapag-Lloyd Acquires 20% Stake in One of Europe’s Largest Container Terminals

Container shipping lines are increasingly expanding their presence in the port terminal sector as they seek greater control over the global maritime supply chain.

Most recently, Hapag-Lloyd announced that its terminal operating subsidiary, Hanseatic Global Terminals (HGT), has signed a heads of agreement to acquire a 20% equity stake in Eurogate Container Terminal Hamburg (CTH) - the second-largest container terminal at the Port of Hamburg, Germany.

The transaction remains subject to ongoing negotiations and the execution of definitive legal agreements. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Strengthening Its Presence at One of Europe’s Key Gateway Ports

According to Hapag-Lloyd, Eurogate Container Terminal Hamburg handled 1.13 million TEU during the first half of 2025. Over the same period, the three container terminals operated by HHLA at the Port of Hamburg processed a combined 4.29 million TEU.

For the full year 2025, the Port of Hamburg handled approximately 8.3 million TEU, ranking as Europe’s third-largest container port, behind Rotterdam and Antwerp.

Looking ahead, the port authority and Eurogate plan to invest approximately USD 2.7 billion to expand the terminal's annual handling capacity from 4 million TEU to 6 million TEU.

Commenting on the agreement, Dheeraj Bhatia, Chief Executive Officer of Hanseatic Global Terminals, said: "The agreement marks another important step in strengthening our terminal portfolio in Europe. Together with our partners, we aim to support the further development of efficient, future-ready terminal infrastructure that benefits customers, ports, and global trade."

Michael Blach, Chairman of the Management Board of Eurogate, added: "Hapag-Lloyd has been a valued partner of the Eurogate Group for many decades. Together with strong partners such as Hapag-Lloyd and Hanseatic Global Terminals, we aim to further develop CTH as an important logistics hub in Northern Europe."

Continuing Its Vertical Integration Strategy

The Hamburg investment is not Hapag-Lloyd's first move into port terminal operations.

Earlier in 2025, Hanseatic Global Terminals, which operates independently within the Hapag-Lloyd Group, acquired a 60% stake in HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder.

According to Hapag-Lloyd, the company aims to expand its terminal portfolio to around 30 container terminals worldwide, gradually positioning itself among the world's leading terminal operators.

In addition to the Hamburg transaction, Hapag-Lloyd also announced plans to increase its ownership stake in TC3 Container Terminal in Tangier, Morocco, from 10% to 20%.

Container Carriers Accelerate Vertical Integration

Hapag-Lloyd's latest investment reflects a broader industry trend, with major container shipping lines increasing investments in port infrastructure to strengthen their control over the maritime supply chain.

Through vertical integration, carriers can secure greater operational control, strengthen their presence at strategic gateway ports, expand transshipment networks, and optimize end-to-end logistics operations.

Hapag-Lloyd is far from alone in pursuing this strategy. In late 2025, CMA CGM also acquired a 20% stake in Eurogate.

Meanwhile, Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) - MSC's port operating arm - previously partnered with BlackRock in a bid to acquire 43 container terminals across 23 countries from CK Hutchison. Had the transaction not been blocked by Beijing, MSC would have become the world's largest container terminal operator by market share.

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Source: Phaata.com (According to Freight Waves)

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