Hamburg Süd is one of the key carriers on the North-South trade routes by ocean transportation. It is part of the Oetker Group, a family-owned German conglomerate.

One of Germany's largest marine transportation companies, Hamburg Süd operates a fleet of about 175 vessels, including some 115 containerships with an overall capacity of about 290,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU).

The Hamburg Süd fleet also includes dry bulk carriers and tankers. Scheduled liner services for containers make up about 85% of the company's revenues.