Modernization and Expansion: Port of Gdansk Enhances International Connectivity
The Port of Gdansk is located in the city of Gdansk, northern Poland. The port lies at the mouth of the Motlawa and Martwa Wisla rivers, flowing into the Gulf of Gdansk in the Baltic Sea.
The Port of Gdansk is divided into two areas. The Inner Port can accommodate vessels of up to 250 meters in length with a maximum depth of 10.5 meters. The Outer Port, located in the waters of the Gulf of Gdansk, can receive vessels up to 400 meters in length with a maximum depth of 15 meters, and a basin depth of 17 meters. The port has a modern transport infrastructure system, facilitating convenient rail and road access to transshipment terminals located in the Outer Port. The port is currently expanding and modernizing its road and rail network, including the construction and modernization of approximately 7.2 km of roads and about 10 km of railway tracks. In addition, the Port of Gdansk is the only port in Poland authorized to import and export crude oil, with a modern underground pipeline system. Currently, all crude oil imported and exported by Poland is transported through the Port of Gdansk.
In 2023, the Port of Gdansk ranked third among ports with the shortest transport routes to other European countries (after the Port of Amsterdam and the Port of Trieste). In 2014, cargo throughput at the Port of Gdansk was only 32.3 million tons; by 2024, this figure had increased to 77.4 million tons. Of this total, 51.0% of cargo consisted of liquid fuels; 30.3% was containerized cargo and timber; the remainder comprised other types of cargo.
With the goal of becoming the Baltic Hub of the region, the Port of Gdansk is currently continuing investment in the construction of an additional terminal area, T3, covering 36 hectares, with a berth length of 717 meters and a depth of 18 meters. This expansion is expected to increase transshipment capacity by 1.5 million TEU per year (from 3 to 4.5 million TEU). The port is also investing in the construction of an LNG terminal, expected to be completed by 2028. The Baltic Hub is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025 and will become one of the largest container transshipment terminals in Europe, serving more than 600 vessels annually, including 100 of the world’s largest container ships. In addition, with the aim of attracting the transport of frozen food products from Asia to Poland and Europe, the Port of Gdansk is constructing cold storage facilities with a total warehouse area of up to 15.5 thousand square meters.
The Port of Gdansk has five transport routes:
(i) The main international Asia–Europe route (Asia–Europe Mainline), for which the Port of Gdansk serves as either the final destination or a key transshipment hub for routes from China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam;
(ii) Intra-European routes, which mainly transport containers, bulk cargo and RO-RO cargo to ports in Nordic countries, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Ireland;
(iii) Baltic and Russia routes—due to the impact of sanctions, some routes to Russia have been suspended, while routes to Tallinn (Estonia) and Riga (Latvia) are still maintained;
(iv) Passenger and ferry routes—the Gdansk–Nynäshamn (Sweden) ferry route is operated regularly;
(v) Domestic connectivity routes, through which goods from the Port of Gdansk are transported deep into inland Europe by rail or road.
For the main international Asia–Europe route of the Port of Gdansk, vessels previously traveled from Asia via the Suez Canal, calling at intermediate ports such as Rotterdam and Hamburg before reaching Gdansk, with a transit time of approximately 40–45 days. However, due to recent conflicts in the Red Sea region, shipping lines have deployed new routes around Africa, extending transit times to approximately 60–65 days.
In Southeast Asia, the Port of Gdansk currently has shipping services connecting to Klang, Malaysia, and weekly services connecting to Vung Tau, Vietnam. Vessels on these routes still sail via Africa, then call at the intermediate port of Gothenburg before arriving in Gdansk.
To reduce costs and transit time for cargo transported to and from Asia to the Port of Gdansk, as well as to enhance the port’s competitiveness compared with other ports in the region, the Port of Gdansk has recently piloted a new shipping route from Asia via the Arctic Ocean and then directly to the Port of Gdansk. This route helps shorten transit time by approximately one-third. The route is expected to promote trade exchanges between Asian and European countries in the coming period, while helping the Port of Gdansk consolidate its position as a strategic gateway to Central and Eastern European markets.
On the occasion of Vietnam assuming the rotating Chairmanship of the ASEAN group in Poland, on November 6, 2025, the Trade Office participated in a working delegation of Ambassadors and Trade Representatives of ASEAN countries resident in Poland to visit and discuss cooperation potential between ASEAN countries and the Port of Gdansk. During the program, the delegation of the Embassy of Vietnam held a working session with the leadership of the Primorski Province (where the Port of Gdansk is located) to introduce Vietnam’s tourism and trade potential, and to invite the province’s trade delegation to participate in trade events and explore cooperation opportunities with Vietnam, including the possibility of establishing sister-city relations with Hai Phong. Hai Phong is also a leading economic and seaport center in northern Vietnam and a place where many former Vietnamese students and researchers, who were previously trained in maritime transport and shipbuilding in Poland, are currently working.
Source: Vietnam Trade Office in Poland
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