List of Shipping Companies in Germany

Last updated 21 October 2026

There are 2,644 shipping companies in Germany, one in every 2,568 German companies. Most of them are small: seven in ten have one to four people, and only 61 firms employ 50 people or more. Half of all shipping firms are based in Hamburg, Haren, Leer, Bremen and Drochtersen. Below you find the largest shipping firms in Germany, the cities where they cluster, how many started this year and which are the oldest. The full list with addresses, phone numbers and email is in our German company database or through the Handelsregister API.

2,644 companies indexed · Data counted on 21 October 2026

Companies2,6441 in2,568 German companiesCities424Largest cityHamburg 811Sole traders11%Employees1-4 (69%)Revenue$500K-$1M (45%)Email63%Phone66%Website65%

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A live view of all 2,644 shipping firms, sorted by revenue. Narrow it by region, city, employee size, revenue, legal form or founding year, or search a firm by name.

Hamburg Sudamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft A/S & CO KGHamburg Sudamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft A/S & CO KG

	Company Name	Country	City	Address 1	State/Province	Postal Code	Website	Founding Year	Yearly Revenue in U.S. Dollars	Employees Total	Business Legal Type - Description	Number of Companies in Group	Company Registration Number
1	Hamburg Sudamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft A/S & CO KG	Germany	Hamburg	Johanniswall 7	Hamburg, Freie Und Hansestadt	20095	*****.com	1871	$5,660,661,006	1,531	Foreign company	4	20355A59448
2	Egon Oldendorff GMBH & CO. KG	Germany	Lübeck	Willy-brandt-allee 6	Lübeck, Hansestadt	23554	*****.com	2019	$797,374,035	1,459	Corporation	27	23568A1211HL
3	Gefo Gesellschaft Fur Oeltransporte Mbh	Germany	Hamburg	Raboisen 5	Hamburg, Freie Und Hansestadt	20095	*****.com	2025	$551,281,984	174	Corporation	67	20355B9605
4	Containerships - Cma Cgm GMBH	Germany	Hamburg	Kleiner Burstah 12	Hamburg, Freie Und Hansestadt	20457	*****.com	2025	$464,006,315	125	Corporation	1919	20355B59289
5	Von Rantzau & CO. Handels- Und Beteiligungsgesellschaft GMBH & CO. KG	Germany	Hamburg	Palmaille 45	Hamburg, Freie Und Hansestadt	22767	*****.biz	2002	$386,241,759	286	Corporation	140	20355A83902
6	Tramp Oil Germany GMBH	Germany	Bremen	Eduard-schopf-allee 1	Bremen, Stadt	28217	N/A	2023	$344,942,225	19	Corporation	349	28195B30205HB
7	Reederei Claus-Peter Offen (GMBH & CO.) KG	Germany	Hamburg	Bleichenbrucke 10	Hamburg, Freie Und Hansestadt	20354	*****.de	2019	$291,449,921	3,607	Corporation	91	20355A70291
8	Cosco Shipping (europe) GMBH	Germany	Hamburg	Herrengraben 74	Hamburg, Freie Und Hansestadt	20459	*****.com	2017	$193,743,605	351	Corporation	559	20355B41418
9	Sal Heavy Lift GMBH & CO. KG	Germany	Hamburg	Brooktorkai 20	Hamburg, Freie Und Hansestadt	20457	*****.global	2020	$191,158,560	634	Corporation	48	20355A126602
10	Scandlines Deutschland GMBH	Germany	Hamburg	Drehbahn 7	Hamburg, Freie Und Hansestadt	20354	*****.de	2015	$187,617,420	735	Corporation	26	20355B135499
11	Sloman Neptun Schiffahrts-Ag	Germany	Bremen	Langenstr. 44	Bremen, Stadt	28195	*****.com	1974	$178,096,660	399	Corporation	14	28195B4046HB
12	Glusing Transport GMBH	Germany	Cuxhaven	Hafenkaje 1	Cuxhaven	27472	*****.de	1936	$168,644,012	1	Corporation	3	21255B110104
13	Fairplay Schleppdampfschiffs-Reederei Richard Borchard Gesellschaft Mit Beschränkter Haftung .	Germany	Hamburg	Ludwig-erhard-str. 22	Hamburg, Freie Und Hansestadt	20459	*****.group	1999	$147,773,736	679	Corporation	13	20355B5670
14	Frs GMBH & CO. KG	Germany	Flensburg	Norderhofenden 19-20	Flensburg, Stadt	24937	*****.world	1991	$139,630,082	1,279	Corporation	51	24937A3231FL
15	Ultrabulk Cargo Services GMBH	Germany	Düsseldorf	Prinzenallee 7	Düsseldorf, Stadt	40549	N/A	2017	$132,315,606	3	Corporation	32	20355B145806
16	Reederei Jaegers GMBH	Germany	Duisburg	Hafenstr. 69	Duisburg, Stadt	47119	*****.eu	2025	$132,164,504	49	Corporation	64	47051B8332
17	Puritan GMBH	Germany	Hamburg	Trostbrucke 1	Hamburg, Freie Und Hansestadt	20457	*****.de	1995	$124,616,885	26	Corporation	107	20355B97414
18	Coli Schiffahrt & Transport GMBH	Germany	Bremen	Konsul-smidt-str. 8p	Bremen, Stadt	28217	*****.com	2026	$110,321,300	9	Corporation	10	28195B24648HB
19	Hgk Dry Shipping GMBH	Germany	Duisburg	Dr.-hammacher-str. 49	Duisburg, Stadt	47119	*****.de	2020	$101,912,949	59	Corporation	6256	50670B103122
20	Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (deutschland) GMBH & CO. KG	Germany	Hamburg	Vorsetzen 54	Hamburg, Freie Und Hansestadt	20459	*****.com	2008	$86,902,634	1,072	Corporation	110	20355A100346
21	Johann M.K. Blumenthal GMBH & CO. KG	Germany	Hamburg	Palmaille 118-120	Hamburg, Freie Und Hansestadt	22767	*****.com	2005	$74,643,392	398	Corporation	4	20355A102280
22	Briese Schiffahrts GMBH & CO KG	Germany	Leer (frise-orientale)	Hafenstr. 12	Leer	26789	*****.de	1984	$72,962,330	368	Corporation	4	26603A110321
23	Nordic Hamburg Crewing Services GMBH	Germany	Hamburg	Cremon 32	Hamburg, Freie Und Hansestadt	20457	*****.de	2025	$68,399,778	1,162	Corporation	41	20355B143688
24	Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-Kg	Germany	Hamburg	Elbchaussee 370	Hamburg, Freie Und Hansestadt	22609	*****.de	1970	$52,968,039	300	Corporation	82	20355A69072
25	Evag Emder Verkehrs Und Automotive GMBH	Germany	Emden	Schweckendieckplatz 1	Emden, Stadt	26721	*****.com	2022	$52,918,746	224	Corporation	4281	26603B200428

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How many shipping companies are there in Germany?

Shipping companies and shipping firms in Germany

2,644

21 October 2026

There are 2,644 shipping companies and shipping firms in Germany in our data (21 October 2026). That is one in every 2,568 German companies. About 4 new firms are entered in the register every week this year (153 so far in 2026).

Structure

Single-site firms: 2,226 84%
Head offices: 288
Branch offices: 130

Classification

WZ 2008 codes 5010, 5020 and 5040, identical to NACE Rev. 2 5010, 5020 and 5040. Our platform filter is SIC 4412, 4424, 4449.

2,097 of the 2,644 are GmbH and AG (79%); 298 are sole traders. They come from the Handelsregister and our German register data, through the Handelsregister API.

Shipping firms in Hamburg

Hamburg has 811 shipping companies and shipping firms, 0.4% of all 217,100 Hamburg companies and 859% above the national share. Seven in ten Hamburg firms have fewer than five people; 31 have 50 or more. 91 new firms were entered in 2026, 51 date from before 1990.

Size

1-4 staff: 547 · 71%
5-9: 85 · 11%
10-19: 32 · 4%
20-49: 80 · 10%
50+: 31 · 4%

Legal form

Sole traders: 14 · 2%
Partnerships: 6 · 0.7%
GmbH and AG: 742 · 91%
Other or none: 49 · 6%

Of the German total: 30.7%
Of all Hamburg companies: 0.4%
Against the national share: 9.6×

New

Entered 2026 so far: 91
Entered 2025: 52
Of Germany's 2026 entries: 59.5%

Old

Before 1990: 51 · 6%
1990 or later: 760 · 94%
Of Germany's pre-1990 firms: 23.8%

Reachable

Email: 537 · 66%
Phone: 545 · 67%
Website: 542 · 67%

Revenue (USD)

Under $100K: 1 · 0.1%
$100K-$500K: 155 · 20%
$500K-$1M: 404 · 52%
$1M and more: 216 · 28%

Largest

1Foreign company1,531
21,162
31,072
4735
5716

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Where in Germany?

Hamburg has the most shipping companies in Germany (811), ahead of Haren (214), Leer (180), Bremen (160) and Drochtersen (66). Together the five hold half of them.

Cities by number of firms

424 German cities have at least one shipping firm; 25 have ten or more; 259 have exactly one. Click a city to set the lens.

Largest shipping firms in Germany

The biggest firms by staff and by revenue, the largest in Hamburg. Click a name for the record.

Hamburg Sudamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft A/S & Co KG is the largest shipping firm in Germany by headcount. 61 firms employ 50 people or more; 36 employ 100 or more.

1HamburgForeign company1,531 staff
2Hamburg1,162 staff
3Hamburg1,072 staff
4Hamburg735 staff
5Hamburg716 staff
6Hamburg679 staff
7Hamburg634 staff
8Hamburg601 staff
9Hamburg576 staff
10Lübeck525 staff

By employee size · 2,545 firms with a known headcount

Employees	Firms	%
1-4	1,767	69%
5-9	335	13%
10-19	175	7%
20-49	207	8%
50-99	25	1.0%
100-199	15	0.6%
200-499	12	0.5%
500-999	6	0.2%
1,000+	3	0.1%

69% have 1 to 4 people; 207 have 20 to 49; 61 have 50 or more.

By yearly revenue (USD)

Revenue	Firms	%
< $100K	13	0.5%
$100K-$500K	846	34%
$500K-$1M	1,123	45%
$1M-$5M	413	16%
$5M-$10M	43	2%
$10M-$50M	47	2%
$50M-$100M	9	0.4%
$100M-$500M	16	0.6%
$500M+	3	0.1%

45% between $500,000 and $1 million; 413 between $1M and $5M; 118 above $5M.

Firm sizes in Germany

Of the 2,545 German shipping firms with a known headcount, 1,767 (69%) have one to four people, 335 have five to nine, 382 have ten to 49 and 61 have 50 or more. Most firms turn over between $500,000 and $1 million a year (1,123, 45%).

EU size bands · the grey line shows all German companies

Micro under 102,102 83%
Small 10 to 49382 15%
Medium 50 to 24952 2%
Large 250+9 0.4%

Grey line: the share among all German companies (92% have under ten staff).

118

firms turn over more than $5 million a year; 75 more than $10 million.

153

firms were entered in 2026.

How reachable are they?

Shipping firms are easier to reach than the average German company: 66% list a phone number and 65% a website.

Email1,653 63%
Phone1,752 66%
Website1,712 65%

Grey line: all German companies (email 52%, phone 63%, website 61%).

The full list with these fields is in our German company database.

Sole traders or GmbH: how they are organised

One in nine German shipping firms work as sole traders, against 46% of all German companies. Four in five are GmbH and AG.

Sole traders (Einzelunternehmen)29811%
Partnerships (OHG and KG)693%
GmbH and AG2,09779%
No form on record or other1807%

Single-site: 84%
Head offices: 288
Branches: 130

All German companies: 46% sole traders, 6% partnerships, 29% GmbH and AG.

Newcomers in Germany in 2026

153 shipping firms were entered in the German register so far in 2026, about 4 a week, after 151 in 2025. Germany as a whole saw 121,844 new companies in 2026, so this industry takes 0.1% of the inflow.

1532022
1162023
1202024
1512025
1532026 so far

149 of this year's 153 are GmbH and AG.

The biggest newcomers of 2026

The year is the register entry; an established firm that changes legal form appears as new.

1Brake168 staff
2Hamburg38 staff
3Hamburg31 staff
4Hamburg28 staff
5Hamburg28 staff

The oldest firms in Germany

Our data holds 12 German shipping firms from before 1900, 44 from before 1950 and 214 from before 1990.

1808
1. Budenheim
1856
1. Bremen
1871
1. HamburgForeign company
1873
1. Neuss
1875
1. Petershagen
1877
1. Bremen

Older than you

Live tool

Move the slider to a year. Two live counts, scoped to this industry.

1990

214

German shipping firms date from before 1990

were entered in 1990

How they compare

Next to related industries

There are 22 logistics companies for every shipping firm in Germany.

Industry	Firms	Website	1-4 staff
Logistics Companies	58,689	56%	61%
Bus Companies	5,395	74%	54%
Courier Companies	4,830	44%	74%
Shipping Companies	2,644	65%	67%
Airlines	1,146	66%	47%
Railway Companies	1,068	59%	20%

In other countries

Country	Firms	Per 1,000 cos.
India	19,576	0.5
The Netherlands	5,240	1.4
The USA	4,595	0.1
Norway	3,731	1.9
Germany	2,644	0.4

More countries →

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Frequently asked questions

How many shipping companies are there in Germany?

There are 2,644 shipping companies and shipping firms in Germany in our data, counted on 21 October 2026. That is one in every 2,568 German companies.

Which is the largest shipping firm in Germany?

Hamburg Sudamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft A/S & Co KG in Hamburg, with 1,531 staff. By revenue Egon Oldendorff GmbH & Co. KG in Lübeck leads with $797.4 million a year.

Which German city has the most shipping companies?

Hamburg, with 811, ahead of Haren (214), Leer (180), Bremen (160) and Drochtersen (66).

How many shipping firms are there in Hamburg?

811, which is 0.4% of all 217,100 Hamburg companies and 859% above the national share.

How big is a typical shipping firm?

Small. 69% of the 2,545 firms with a known headcount have one to four people; 61 have 50 or more. Most turn over between $500,000 and $1 million a year.

Are German shipping companies sole traders or companies?

One in nine (298) are sole traders, 3% are partnerships and 79% (2,097) are GmbH and AG.

How many shipping firms started in 2026?

153 were entered in the German register so far in 2026, after 151 in 2025. 149 of them are GmbH and AG.

What is the oldest shipping firm in Germany?

Hubertus Nikolay in Budenheim, 1808, followed by Friedrich Ellmers GmbH & Co. in Bremen (1856) and Hamburg Sudamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft A/S & Co KG in Hamburg (1871). 12 firms date from before 1900.

Which industry code covers shipping companies?

German shipping companies are classified under WZ 2008 codes 5010, 5020 and 5040, identical to NACE Rev. 2 codes 5010, 5020 and 5040. Our platform filters them on SIC 4412 (deep sea foreign transportation of freight), 4424 (deep sea domestic transportation of freight) and 4449 (water transportation of freight, not elsewhere classified).

Can I download the full list?

Yes. All 2,644 firms with address, phone, email, legal form, employees, revenue and founding year, as Excel, CSV or through the API.

Discover more: related industries, by city, in other countries

The lists closest to this one. Every industry and city in Germany is on the Germany page.

Transport and storage

Companies in German cities

Europe

Americas

Asia Pacific

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