Cargo traffic through Baltic Sea ports is being reshaped by growing container volumes, increased demand for liquefied natural gas and the redirection of trade following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Recent figures show particularly strong results in Poland and Lithuania, while several Latvian and Estonian ports continue to struggle with the loss of traditional east–west transit traffic.

Poland’s main seaports handled a combined 141 million tonnes of cargo in 2025, almost 5 million tonnes more than a year earlier. Container throughput at Gdańsk, Gdynia, Szczecin and Świnoujście reached approximately 3.9 million TEU, representing annual growth of 18 per cent.

The results confirm the growing role of Polish ports as logistical, commercial and energy gateways for Central and Eastern Europe. Cargo structures are also changing. Containerised goods and LNG are becoming increasingly important, while coal traffic has fallen from the exceptional levels recorded during the energy crisis of 2022 and 2023.

Gdańsk Leads Poland’s Port Sector

The Port of Gdańsk remains the largest Polish seaport and one of the fastest-growing cargo hubs in the European Union. It handled 80.4 million tonnes of cargo in 2025, nearly 4 per cent more than in the previous year.

Liquid fuels accounted for 39.6 million tonnes, or almost half of the port’s total throughput. Container terminals handled close to 2.8 million TEU, an increase of approximately 23 per cent. Containerised cargo measured by weight rose by 18 per cent to 24 million tonnes. Port of Gdańsk

Growth continued during the first half of 2026. Gdańsk handled 41.7 million tonnes of cargo between January and June, 9 per cent more than during the same period of 2025.

General cargo increased by 17 per cent to 15.2 million tonnes. The Baltic Hub Container Terminal alone processed almost 1.6 million TEU, a year-on-year increase of 23 per cent. Liquid fuels remained the largest cargo category, reaching 18.8 million tonnes and accounting for 45 per cent of the port’s total volume.

Imports reached 27.8 million tonnes during the first six months of 2026, compared with exports of 8.3 million tonnes and transit traffic of 5.6 million tonnes. The figures demonstrate that Gdańsk is increasingly serving not only Poland but also landlocked markets across Central Europe. Port of Gdańsk’s first-half results

Different Trends in Other Polish Ports

The ports of Szczecin and Świnoujście handled 34.79 million tonnes of cargo in 2025, up 7.5 per cent from the previous year. Growth was recorded in general cargo, ferry freight, liquid fuels and LNG. Świnoujście’s LNG terminal has become particularly important as Poland and neighbouring countries seek to reduce their dependence on Russian gas.

Gdynia recorded a different pattern. Its overall cargo throughput fell by 4.4 per cent to 25.7 million tonnes, mainly because of declining coal and coke volumes. At the same time, the port handled more than 1 million TEU for the first time in its history. The result illustrates the broader transition from traditional bulk commodities towards containerised and higher-value cargo.

Klaipėda Consolidates Its Baltic States Leadership

Lithuania’s Port of Klaipėda has also reported rapid growth. The port handled 39 million tonnes of cargo in 2025, supported by record results in containers, ro-ro freight, LNG and construction materials.

Container throughput increased by 22 per cent to almost 1.31 million TEU. Measured by weight, containerised cargo reached nearly 13 million tonnes, 29 per cent more than in 2024. Ro-ro traffic increased by 6 per cent to 6.5 million tonnes, while LNG volumes rose by 19 per cent to 2.4 million tonnes.

The port’s strong performance continued in the first half of 2026. Klaipėda handled 7.2 million tonnes of containerised cargo, 12 per cent more than a year earlier, and processed nearly 700,000 TEU.

Ro-ro cargo increased by 4 per cent to almost 3.4 million tonnes. Oil product throughput reached 2.3 million tonnes, up 12 per cent, while LNG volumes surged by 37 per cent to almost 1.6 million tonnes. The increase in LNG traffic was supported by regional demand and shipments intended for Ukraine.

Klaipėda was the only major seaport in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to increase its total cargo volume during the first half of 2026. Its share of cargo handled by ports in the three Baltic states rose to approximately 44 per cent. Klaipėda State Seaport Authority

Latvian and Estonian Ports Face Pressure

Ports in Latvia and Estonia are still adapting to the sharp decline in Russian and Belarusian transit cargo. Sanctions, the war in Ukraine and changing supply chains have reduced volumes of coal, oil products, fertilisers and other bulk commodities traditionally transported through the region.

Riga handled 16.8 million tonnes of cargo in 2025, a decline of 7 per cent. Liepāja recorded a 3 per cent decrease to 6.9 million tonnes. Ventspils performed better, reporting 4 per cent growth and total throughput of 8.5 million tonnes.

Tallinn handled 13.8 million tonnes in 2025, 5 per cent more than a year earlier. However, the positive trend did not continue into 2026. During the first six months of the year, the Port of Tallinn handled close to 6.5 million tonnes, a year-on-year decrease of 5 per cent.

These ports are increasingly seeking to replace traditional transit cargo with ro-ro services, containers, renewable-energy components, military logistics and passenger traffic.

A Changing Baltic Transport Market

Russian ports such as Ust-Luga, Primorsk and St Petersburg remain among the largest cargo centres on the Baltic Sea, particularly for crude oil, petroleum products and dry bulk commodities. Their operations, however, are increasingly affected by Western sanctions, longer shipping routes to Asian markets, severe winter conditions and Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.

Meanwhile, ports in Poland and Lithuania are benefiting from investment in deep-water terminals, rail and road connections, LNG facilities and container-handling capacity. The growth of Gdańsk and Klaipėda indicates that the Baltic port market is becoming more focused on diversified cargo, regional energy security and connections with global container networks.

If current trends continue, 2026 could bring another record result for Gdańsk and further strengthen Klaipėda’s position among the Baltic states. The wider picture, however, will remain uneven as individual ports adjust to geopolitical disruption, economic uncertainty and the long-term transition away from fossil fuels.