Polish carriers and ports suffer losses due to the termination of Ukrainian grain transit
29 July 2025 16:44
Polish transport companies, seaports and transshipment terminals are in a crisis situation due to the suspension of transit of Ukrainian grain. This was reported by Rynek Infrastruktury, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Laura Holowacz, CEO of CSL Logistics Group, noted that although the import of Ukrainian agricultural products to the Polish domestic market is rightly considered a problem, blocking transit leads to real losses for the country’s economy.
“We have to distinguish between imports and transit. Profit from transit is profit for Polish ports, terminals and carriers. The ban on transshipment of Ukrainian products is painful for our sector,” she said.
CSL emphasizes that Polish terminals have been empty for more than a year, unable to handle Ukrainian grain. This creates additional costs, the threat of layoffs in the transportation industry, and the growth of unused infrastructure. The company reminded that other countries, such as Romania, Germany, and Turkey, effectively use their ports to transit Ukrainian agricultural products, while limiting their supply to their own markets.
“Poland is losing in this regard, because instead of gains, it suffers losses – economic and infrastructural,” Golovach emphasized.
According to the report, the problem requires the intervention of the Polish authorities, in particular the Ministry of Infrastructure, to find a solution that will allow the resumption of transit and preserve the industry’s revenues.
As a reminder, on April 15, 2023, Poland imposed a ban on grain imports from Ukraine (wheat, corn, rapeseed, sunflower). This was preceded by large-scale protests by Polish farmers that lasted from February to April 2023. They demanded an end to imports of agricultural products from Ukraine and the abolition of the European Green Deal.
Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to export. According to July data, almost 800 thousand tons of grain have already been shipped abroad in the new marketing season.
