Shipping Dried Fruit and Vegetables to the Port of Hamburg: Import Guide
The Port of Hamburg is Germany’s largest seaport and the main sea entry point for dried fruit and dehydrated vegetables reaching German wholesalers and retailers.
Port of Hamburg Container Statistics 2026
In 2026, the port handled 8.3 million TEU of container traffic, with containerized cargo making up nearly 71% of total throughput. Food and agricultural cargo, including dried fruit and vegetable shipments, moves through the same terminal network as the rest of Hamburg’s container volume.
Which Hamburg Terminal Handles Your Container
The terminal depends on your carrier and shipping alliance, but most general cargo runs through one of four facilities: Burchardkai, Altenwerder, and Tollerort — all operated by HHLA — plus the Eurogate Container Terminal. Altenwerder is the most automated of the four, which generally means faster gate turnaround for standard dry containers.
Rail Transport from Hamburg to the German Hinterland
Hamburg is Europe’s largest rail port, with sea and hinterland transport tightly integrated — so a container arriving from Iran can move onward to Frankfurt, Munich, or Cologne by rail without touching a highway, which matters for buyers tracking delivery windows on perishable-adjacent goods like dried fruit.
Hamburg Liner Services & Carriers
Major lines calling at Hamburg include Hamburg Süd (now part of the Maersk network), Maersk, MSC, and CMA CGM, among others. Your freight forwarder will confirm which service best matches your transit-time and cost priorities from the origin port.
Shipping Schedule: From Booking to Port Arrival
| Step | What happens | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
| Booking & documentation | Bill of lading, packing list, phytosanitary certificate, COA prepared | 1–2 weeks before vessel departure |
| Ocean transit | Container moves from origin port to Hamburg | 20–30 days, depending on route |
| Terminal discharge & customs | Container unloaded, customs declaration reviewed | 1–3 days |
| Terminal release | Container cleared for pickup or rail transfer | Same day to 2 days after customs clearance |
| Inland delivery | Truck or rail transport to final destination in Germany | 1–3 days depending on destination |
Value-Added Services at the Port of Hamburg
Hamburg’s terminal network supports repackaging, labeling, and quality inspection services for cargo that needs to be relabeled or repacked for German retail before onward distribution — useful if your buyer needs LMIV-compliant German labeling applied locally rather than at origin.
What We Ship Through the Port of Hamburg
Dried fruit: Dried Apple, Dried Apricot, Dried Fig, Dried Peach, Dried Orange, Dried Plum, Dried Aloo Bukhara, Dried Cherry, Dried Lemon, Dried Mango, Dried Pineapple, Dried Banana, and Dried Coconut — plus Dried Fruit Cube and Dried Fruit Dice. Full dried fruit range.
Dehydrated vegetables: Dried Tomato, Dried Paprika, Dried Onion, Dried Pumpkin, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, and Tomato Powder. Full dried vegetable range.
Freeze-dried line: Frozen Dried Apple, Frozen Dried Apricot, Frozen Dried Strawberries, Frozen Dried Kiwi, Frozen Dried Plum, Frozen Dried Peach, Frozen Dried Fig, Frozen Dried Orange, Frozen Dried Raspberry, and Frozen Dried Blackberry. Full frozen dried fruit range.
For the complete compliance and export process, see the Germany export page.