In-Depth Analysis of Polish Logistics: Eastern Europe’s Largest Logistics Hub and a Golden Bridgehead for Nearshoring

As global enterprises seek more resilient and shorter supply chains, the European logistics landscape is undergoing profound tectonic shifts. In this transformation, Poland is undoubtedly one of the biggest beneficiaries. Leveraging its strategic position at the crossroads of Western and Eastern Europe, between the Baltic Sea and the Central European hinterland, Poland has evolved from a regional transit country into Eastern Europe’s largest integrated logistics hub and the preferred destination for European “nearshoring.”

According to the latest report from Mordor Intelligence, the Polish freight and logistics market size reached approximately $52.05 billion in 2025 and is expected to maintain strong growth in the coming years. Behind this growth momentum is a comprehensive explosion in Poland’s seaport, railway, and warehousing infrastructure.

1. Warehousing and Nearshoring: A Magnet for European Logistics Real Estate

In recent years, Poland has become a hotspot for European Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and logistics real estate investment. As the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical conflicts exposed the fragility of long-distance supply chains, many European and multinational corporations began implementing “nearshoring” strategies—relocating production and distribution centers closer to end-consumer markets. With its high-quality yet cost-competitive workforce, well-developed infrastructure, and EU membership, Poland has emerged as the biggest winner of this trend.

As of 2025, Poland’s total modern warehouse space has surpassed a staggering 36 million square meters, representing exponential growth compared to 7.1 million square meters in 2021. Central cities such as Warsaw, Łódź, and Poznań, with their superior road and rail networks, have developed into super distribution centers serving the entire Central and Eastern European region and even the German market. In the first half of 2025, investment in the Polish warehouse market approached €700 million, demonstrating investors’ strong confidence in the country’s logistics prospects.

2. Port of Gdansk: The Deep-Water Hegemon of the Baltic Sea

Poland’s logistics rise is not limited to the interior. The Port of Gdansk, located on the Baltic coast, is rewriting the maritime landscape of Northern Europe. In 2025, the Port of Gdansk delivered an impressive performance: total throughput reached 80.4 million tons, a 4% year-on-year increase.

Container transport performance was particularly outstanding. The port’s container terminals handled nearly 2.8 million TEUs in 2025, a 23% year-on-year surge. This growth is primarily attributed to the strong performance of the Baltic Hub container terminal. With the advancement of the massive T3 terminal expansion project, the Baltic Hub will add 717 meters of deep-water shoreline and 36 hectares of yard space. This will not only significantly increase the port’s handling capacity but also make it the only deep-water port in the Baltic Sea capable of accommodating the world’s largest Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs), competing directly with the Port of Hamburg in Germany and the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands to become the preferred gateway for goods entering and exiting Central and Eastern Europe.

3. China-Europe Railway Corridor: The Iron Silk Road Connecting Asia and Europe

Poland’s strategic value is also reflected in its status as a core gateway for the “China-Europe Railway Express.” The Małaszewicze railway border crossing, located on the border between Poland and Belarus, is the most important and busiest land bottleneck for Asian goods entering the European Union. The vast majority of China-Europe freight trains require transshipment operations here between broad gauge (Russian standard) and standard gauge (European standard).

Despite challenges and fluctuations caused by the geopolitical situation in Eastern Europe in recent years (such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and tensions on the Poland-Belarus border), the overall volume of the China-Europe Railway Express has maintained remarkable resilience. In 2024, the cumulative number of China-Europe freight train trips exceeded 90,000. The Polish government and logistics companies are actively investing in expanding the transshipment capacity of Małaszewicze and exploring alternative routes such as the “Middle Corridor” to ensure the smooth flow of this major Asian-European logistics artery. For companies seeking logistics solutions that are faster than sea freight and cheaper than air freight, rail freight via Poland remains of irreplaceable strategic value.

4. Future Giant: The Central Communication Port (CPK) Project

Looking ahead, Poland’s logistics ambitions do not stop there. The Polish government is advancing a project of the century known as the “Central Communication Port (CPK, Centralny Port Komunikacyjny).” This large-scale project, located between Warsaw and Łódź, aims to create a super integrated transport hub combining aviation, high-speed rail, and highways.

Although the project has undergone political and financial re-evaluations, latest reports indicate that the Polish government has committed to proceeding with the plan. Upon its expected completion in 2032, CPK will greatly enhance Poland’s air cargo and multimodal transport capabilities, further consolidating Poland’s position as the logistics heart of Europe.

Conclusion

Poland is undergoing an unprecedented logistics renaissance. From the giant cranes of the Baltic Sea to the continuous stretches of modern warehouses inland, and the railway trains spanning Eurasia, Poland has built a powerful, diverse, and highly resilient multi-dimensional logistics network. For companies seeking to expand in Europe or reshape their supply chains, Poland is no longer an option, but a necessity.

In the face of Poland’s vast and rapidly changing logistics market, choosing a logistics partner that understands local dynamics and possesses a global network is crucial. HLT Logistics will continue to deepen its presence in the Eastern European market, providing customers with end-to-end customized solutions ranging from sea and rail freight to overseas warehousing, helping you seize the initiative in the wave of European supply chain restructuring.

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