Source: Splash247; Splash247; Splash247
Date: 24th August 2026 

Recent results from major gateways in China, Germany and New Zealand show cargo growth across containers, bulk and specialised freight, highlighting continued activity across diverse trade markets.

Cargo volumes have increased across three very different port markets, with recent results from China, Germany and New Zealand showing growth in containerised and specialised cargo.

While the ports operate at very different scales, the figures provide a useful snapshot of how trade activity is developing across multiple regions.

Tianjin container volumes rise 5.8%. Tianjin Port Holdings handled 11.21 million TEUs in the first half of 2026, up 5.75% year on year, while total cargo throughput increased 2.18% to 234 million tonnes.

The operator also continued expanding automation across its container operations and increased its liner network to 152 services, strengthening connectivity at one of northern China’s major gateways.

Container growth therefore outpaced the increase in total cargo volumes, reflecting continued momentum in Tianjin’s box traffic.

Bremen and Bremerhaven record broad-based growth. Germany’s Bremen and Bremerhaven ports handled 34.5 million tonnes during the first six months of 2026, an increase of 5.9% compared with the same period last year.

Container throughput rose 5.7% to around 2.6 million TEUs, while bulk cargo increased 9.6% to 4.3 million tonnes.

Non-containerised general cargo also grew 9.8%, with iron and steel volumes rising particularly strongly by 24.1%. Vehicle handling increased 2.4% to approximately 614,000 units.

The figures show growth across several cargo categories rather than containers alone.

South Port reaches record cargo volumes. In New Zealand, South Port reported record throughput for the financial year ending June 2026.

Total cargo increased 11.5% to 3.96 million tonnes, while container throughput reached an all-time high of 62,000 TEUs, up 18.5% from the previous year.

Bulk cargo increased 9.7% to 3.3 million tonnes, supported by stronger agricultural activity, aluminium-related volumes and wind farm project cargo.

The three ports serve very different markets, so their results should not be interpreted as evidence of a uniform global trade trend.

What they do show is continued cargo growth across container, bulk, automotive and project logistics, alongside investment in automation, connectivity and storage capacity.

For shippers, port performance increasingly depends not only on throughput growth but also on whether infrastructure and inland connections can scale alongside rising cargo volumes.

What This Means

• Growing volumes can strengthen connectivity and service options, but they may also increase pressure on terminal, equipment and inland transport capacity.
• Businesses should therefore monitor not only headline throughput figures but also port productivity, liner connectivity, terminal investment and available inland logistics capacity when selecting gateways.

The latest port results highlight the importance of resilient and diversified gateway infrastructure.

From Tianjin’s increasing automation and liner connectivity to broad-based cargo growth in Germany and record throughput in New Zealand, ports are adapting to changing trade requirements in different ways.

For global supply chains, the key consideration is not simply whether volumes are rising, but whether infrastructure, technology and inland logistics networks are developing fast enough to support that growth reliably.