Hapag-Lloyd shifts East-Med-Express service from Hamburg to Wilhelmshaven

Hapag-Lloyd will relocate the start point of its East-Med-Express (EMX) liner service from Hamburg to the JadeWeserPort in Wilhelmshaven, effective 6 September 2026. The change is driven by the tide‑dependent Elbe passage, which has caused schedule delays, whereas the deep‑water, tide‑independent port at Wilhelmshaven offers an 18‑metre draft that accommodates the largest container ships at any time.

The first vessel to call at Wilhelmshaven will be the 347‑metre container ship Colombine Maersk. The weekly EMX rotation links Northern Europe with Eastern Mediterranean ports such as Istanbul, Piraeus, Izmit, Gemlik and Aliağa, and also includes calls at Bremerhaven (Germany) and Antwerp (Belgium). Hapag-Lloyd says the move will improve timetable stability and overall service efficiency within the Gemini network it operates jointly with Maersk.