Franco-German maritime relations strengthened as CMA CGM takes stake in EUROGATE Hamburg terminal

November 13, 2025, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

French shipping and logistics giant CMA CGM Group has signed a term sheet to acquire a 20% stake in EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg (CTH).

The transaction, carried out by CMA CGM’s subsidiary CMA Terminals SAS (CMAT), is expected to be completed in the first half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals.

The strategic investment is said to be ‘fully aligned’ with the CMA CGM Group’s strategy to expand its infrastructure portfolio in support of its global shipping network and, more specifically, in Europe.

CMA CGM—which has interests in 64 terminals worldwide—already calls at the EUROGATE Container Terminal Hamburg (CTH), notably through its iconic FAL service connecting Asia and Northern Europe with 23,000 TEU liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered vessels.

As informed, the partnership will also support EUROGATE’s Western Extension project at the Hamburg terminal, ‘Waltershofer Hafen’, which will expand the facility by approximately 38 hectares and add around 1,050 meters of new quay wall. The expansion is designed to accommodate next-generation container vessels and increase the terminal’s capacity from around 4 million TEUs to nearly 6 million TEUs, whilst modernizing and improving operational efficiency and intermodal connectivity of existing areas. By becoming a shareholder, CMA CGM actively contributes to this long-term development, strengthening Hamburg’s position as “a leading North European maritime hub”.

“I am pleased to announce this new partnership with EUROGATE, which marks an important step in the development of Hamburg Port and supports its ambition to remain a major gateway for European trade. Through our participation, we will help enhance the terminal’s capacity, strengthen its rail connections, and support its move towards more sustainable operations. This reflects our confidence in Germany’s long-term competitiveness and our commitment to contributing to resilient and efficient supply chains in Europe,” Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, stressed.

CMA CGM has a long-standing and growing presence in Germany, where the Group first established offices in Hamburg and Bremen in 1991. Today, Germany serves as a key hub within CMA CGM’s regional cluster as its vessels call three major ports: Hamburg, Bremerhaven, and Wilhelmshaven.

“We have a very long-standing friendship with the CMA CGM owner family of Rodolphe Saadé and have been discussing a closer partnership since 2023. This year, with the signing of the project and lease agreements for the Western Extension on July 4th, we have also been able to establish long-term planning security at our Hamburg location,” Thomas Eckelmann, CEO of EUROKAI and shareholder of EUROGATE, and his son Tom Eckelmann, Co-CEO of EUROGATE Group, stated.

“We are delighted to build on this momentum together with CMA CGM, currently the third-largest shipping company in the world, to further develop CTH as an important logistics hub in Northern Europe. Through modernisation, digitalisation, increased automation and electrification of our handling processes, we aim to gradually position the terminal for a strong and sustainable future.”

Earlier this year, the Port of Hamburg unveiled an investment of about €1.1 billion in its infrastructure expansion – a move that would secure the port’s competitiveness and pave the way to climate neutrality.

The modernization project will include the enhancement of the Elbe approach to the Waltershofer Hafen and the creation of additional terminal yards. This will make navigation towards the Container Terminals Buchardkai (CTB) and Container Terminal Hamburg easier and faster, according to the port.

View on Offshore-energy.

Public funding will cover part of the aforementioned preliminary costs. The infrastructure works are to be completed by the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) by the mid-2030s.

In addition to the public investment, EUROGATE has signed a preliminary lease agreement for the new areas and will invest at least €700 million in expanding the existing container terminal, with completion planned within two years of the handover of the newly developed land.