Record cargo handling at the Port of Gdańsk – a strong halfway point for 2026
The Port of Gdańsk has summarised its operational results for the first half of 2026, recording a marked increase in cargo handling and consolidating its position as a key logistics hub in the Baltic Sea region. Total cargo handling volume reached 41.7 million tonnes. This represents a year-on-year increase of 3.4 million tonnes, or 9 percent.
The cargo handling structure remains stable, with the dominant position being held by liquid fuels, which account for 45% of the entire volume. General cargo are in second place, accounting for 36% of all cargo handled at the Port of Gdańsk.
The rapidly growing general cargo segment recorded a significant year-on-year increase of 17%, as the volume of cargo handling reached 15.2 million tonnes, with the Baltic Hub Container Terminal alone handling 13.8 million tonnes – 2 million tonnes (18%) more than in the first half of 2025. In terms of the number of containers, the terminal handled almost 1.6 million TEU – an increase of 23%. Due to the harsh winter, a significant increase was also recorded in coal handling, which reached 4.3 million tonnes – 51% more than the previous year. A record increase (of 178%) was seen in low-volume timber, which reached 81,000 tonnes.
Other cargo categories remain at stable levels. During the first six months of this year, fuel cargo handling totalled 18.8 million tonnes (98% of the volume achieved in the first half of last year). Cargo handling of other bulk goods totalled 1.8 million tonnes, reaching 95% of last year’s volume; grain reached nearly 1.3 million tonnes (an increase of 13%), and ore 173,000 tonnes (an increase of 7%).
In the first half of 2026, the Port of Gdańsk welcomed 2,193 vessels (6% more than in the same period last year), including 1,793 merchant vessels. The port handled 126 ferries carrying 46,000 passengers and 16 cruise ships carrying over 11,000 passengers.
The results for the first half of 2026 clearly demonstrate that the Port of Gdańsk is playing an increasingly important role as a strategic link in supply chains. The growth in cargo handling volumes confirms the port’s high operational efficiency and is also one of the main reasons for the further development of the port infrastructure.
‘Such a significant increase in cargo handling figures confirms the growing scale of the Port of Gdańsk’s operations and its strategic importance to the economy. This is the result of a strategy to develop infrastructure, improve operational efficiency and adapt what the port offers to the changing needs of the market and business partners, implemented consistently and pragmatically’, said Dorota Pyć, President of the Management Board of the Port of Gdańsk. ‘The prospects for the coming months are also optimistic. The continuing upward trend, supported by the stable demand for port services and the further development of key cargo handling segments, may translate into another record-breaking year for the Port of Gdańsk. We also believe that there is significant potential in the continued strengthening of the Port of Gdańsk’s position – as the sixth-largest port in the European Union it has an increasingly important role in the global maritime economy and international supply chains’.
The direction of cargo flows remains a key component of port throughput. Imports totalled 27.8 million tonnes, with liquid fuels accounting for the largest share with 12.6 million tonnes. Exports amounted to 8.3 million tonnes, and general cargo led the way at 5.9 million tonnes. Transit stood at 5.6 million tonnes.
