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Freight Forwarding in Germany Industry Data and Analysis
Since 2022, geopolitical crises such as the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the Ukraine conflict have placed massive demands on the freight forwarding industry. These events have led to increased freight rates, longer transport routes and rising costs, which can only be passed on to customers to a limited extent in the face of intense competition. At the same time, exports and imports fell, resulting in a decline in demand for freight forwarding services. Many companies are responding to this with increased digitalisation, process optimisation and targeted specialisation in niche markets. The planned minimum wage increase from 2026 will exacerbate cost pressure, especially for small and medium-sized freight forwarders, and requires additional measures to increase efficiency. In order to be more resilient in the future, the industry is becoming increasingly flexible, innovative and cooperative. Looking back over the last five years, there has been an average annual decline in turnover of 1.4%.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2016-2031. The most recent publication was released January 2026.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Freight Forwarding industry in Germany operates under the WZ industry code H52.29DE. The core task of the freight forwarding industry is to organise the shipment of goods using various modes of transport. Accompanying activities such as the handling of customs formalities or the packing and repacking of goods are also part of the industry's services. The actual transport service and freight handling do not fall under the industry definition, although many freight forwarders also offer these activities. Related terms covered in the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany include inventory turnover, carrier, nearsourcing, contract logistics, revenue management department, participation and global positioning system (gps).
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Freight Forwarding industry in Germany include Domestic freight transport, International freight transport and Additional services.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany include Deutsche Post AG, Deutsche Bahn AG and Dachser Group SE & Co. KG.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany in 2026?
The market size of the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany is €118.5bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany in 2026?
There are 13,951 businesses in the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany, which has declined at a CAGR of 0.2 % between 2021 and 2026.
How may import tariffs affect the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany?
The Freight Forwarding industry in Germany is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany?
The Freight Forwarding industry in Germany is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany has been declining at a CAGR of 1.4 % between 2021 and 2026.
What is the forecast growth of the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany?
The biggest companies operating in the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany are Deutsche Post AG, Deutsche Bahn AG and Dachser Group SE & Co. KG
What does the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany include?
Domestic freight transport and International freight transport are part of the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany?
The company holding the most market share in the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany is Deutsche Post AG.
How competitive is the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Freight Forwarding industry in Germany.
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