Hamburg Sud Container Tracking
Track your Hamburg Sud container in real time. Paste your container number below, no login needed, for live status, route and a predicted ETA.
Track your Hamburg Sud shipment
Hamburg Sud
SCAC: SUDU
German reefer and North-South specialist, founded 1871, now a Maersk subsidiary trading under SCAC SUDU.
Hamburg Sud began on 4 November 1871, when eleven Hamburg merchant houses formed the Hamburg-Sudamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft to run steamers between Germany and South America. That South Atlantic origin shaped the whole company. For more than a century it built its name on North-South trades, above all the routes linking Europe and Asia with the east and west coasts of South America, Central America, the Caribbean and Australasia.
Hamburg Sud at a glance
- Headquarters
- Hamburg, Germany
- Founded
- 1871
- Fleet
- ~130 vessels at peak, ~590,000 TEU slot capacity
- Parent group
- Maersk (A.P. Moller-Maersk)
- Alliance
- Operates within the Maersk network (Gemini Cooperation)
- Main trade lanes
- Europe/Asia to South America, Central America, Caribbean and Australasia (North-South)
- Official website
- www.hamburgsud.com
About Hamburg Sud
Hamburg Sud began on 4 November 1871, when eleven Hamburg merchant houses formed the Hamburg-Sudamerikanische Dampfschifffahrts-Gesellschaft to run steamers between Germany and South America. That South Atlantic origin shaped the whole company. For more than a century it built its name on North-South trades, above all the routes linking Europe and Asia with the east and west coasts of South America, Central America, the Caribbean and Australasia.
The line became one of the strongest names in refrigerated shipping. It moved fresh fruit, meat, fish and dairy on dedicated reefer services and at its peak controlled a large share of reefer volumes out of Brazil. Vessels such as the Polar and Cap San classes carried well over a thousand reefer plugs each. The distinctive red hulls and boxes were a familiar sight on the Santos and Buenos Aires runs.
The Oetker family group owned Hamburg Sud from 1955 until 2017, when Maersk bought it for roughly 3.7 billion euros, closing the deal in December 2017 after clearing regulators (a condition was selling Mercosul Line to CMA CGM). Maersk retired the red Hamburg Sud brand in 2023 as part of a single-brand strategy, though the SUDU entity and its container prefix continue to operate within the Maersk network.
Hamburg Sud container tracking FAQ
Is Hamburg Sud owned by Maersk?
Yes. A.P. Moller-Maersk acquired Hamburg Sud from Germany's Oetker Group for about 3.7 billion euros, with the deal closing in December 2017. Maersk retired the standalone Hamburg Sud brand in 2023, but the SUDU entity still operates inside the Maersk network.
What does the SCAC code SUDU identify?
SUDU is the Standard Carrier Alpha Code and container prefix for Hamburg Sud. Container numbers beginning with SUDU are Hamburg Sud boxes, now handled within the Maersk system.
What was Hamburg Sud known for?
North-South trades and refrigerated cargo. It was one of the leading reefer carriers between Europe, Asia and South America, moving perishables such as fruit, meat and dairy, and at its peak carried a large share of reefer volumes out of Brazil.
How do I track a Hamburg Sud shipment?
Enter your Hamburg Sud container number, Bill of Lading (BOL), or booking number into Panvaya's tracker. You'll get the live vessel route, milestone events, and a predictive ETA in real time, with no Hamburg Sud account or login needed for a quick lookup.
What is Hamburg Sud's SCAC code?
Hamburg Sud's SCAC code is SUDU. It identifies Hamburg Sud on bills of lading and shipping documents. On Panvaya you don't need to enter it. Just paste your container, BOL, or booking number and we detect the carrier automatically.
Can I track Hamburg Sud containers by Bill of Lading or booking number?
Yes. Panvaya supports Hamburg Sud tracking by container number, Bill of Lading (BOL), and booking reference (BK). Any of the three returns the same real-time route, port calls, and ETA.
Is Hamburg Sud container tracking free on Panvaya?
Yes, you can track Hamburg Sud shipments for free, with no login for a quick lookup. Sign in to unlock the full journey: detailed milestones, predictive ETAs, transhipment legs, and exception alerts.
Why isn't my Hamburg Sud container updating?
Hamburg Sud tracking reflects what the carrier and vessel feeds have reported, so there is often a lag between a real-world move and the update. Panvaya refreshes on a regular cycle; a shipment that looks stuck usually just means the next milestone (such as vessel departure or discharge) hasn't been filed yet.
How accurate is the ETA for Hamburg Sud shipments?
Panvaya combines Hamburg Sud's schedule with live vessel position and historical performance to predict arrival, and refines the ETA as the journey progresses and conditions change. It is a continuously updated estimate, not a guarantee.