Poland has introduced restrictions on transit through Belarus, business and logistics suffer from losses

Poland has decided to temporarily close its border with Belarus during the conduct of Russian-Belarusian exercises “Went”. This led to the actual halt of rail freight between China and the European Union, which amounts to approximately € 25 billion annually.

According to Politico, Warsaw substantiated its decision to preserve the security of citizens and stated that the movement would be restored only when the situation is safe. Currently, the recovery of transportation is not planned, which poses difficulties for business and logistics companies.

This route accounts for approximately 90% of rail freight from China to the EU. In 2024, the volume of transportation increased by 10.6%, and the value of goods exceeded €25.07 billion, which is 3.7% of China’s total trade with the EU. Among the companies that use this route are large e-commerce players such as TEMU and Shein.

According to PKP Cargo, short-term delays can be resolved, but a prolonged blockade will force the company to explore new routes through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, and the Black Sea to Southern Europe or Turkey. Additionally, the border closure affected approximately 10,000 Belarusian drivers who were unable to return to work in Poland or to their homes.

All cargoes, including critical medicines and foods, are now blocked. The organization of bypass routes through Lithuania and Latvia requires time and additional expenses, including the risk of instability of such routes.

Despite the meeting of the Chinese Foreign Minister Van and the Polish colleague Radoslav Sikorsky, Beijing did not make direct requirements for opening the border, but called for maintaining the stability of international supply chains.

Experts believe that the border closure will not have a significant impact on China’s overall trade, but it will create problems for Western provinces that rely heavily on railway transport. The US and the EU, in turn, can view a blockade as the ability to regulate the flow of Chinese goods through European ports.

The Polish government has announced that the border would remain closed “until the next messages,” and the issue of business compensation has not yet been resolved.

We will remind you that on September 10, the airspace of Poland was several times disturbed by drones. Warsaw called on allies to join NATO and EU actions to protect Ukraine and general security in Europe.