The Port of Gdańsk set a new handling record of 41.7 million tonnes in the first half of 2026. Container and general cargo volumes saw particularly strong growth, with the total volume rising by 9 per cent compared with the previous year.
The Port of Gdańsk has published its results for the first half of 2026. According to the figures, the Polish Baltic Sea port recorded a significant increase in cargo throughput. Total cargo throughput reached 41.7 million tonnes. This represents an increase of 3.4 million tonnes, or 9 per cent, compared with the same period last year.
The structure of cargo handling remained stable. Liquid fuels continued to account for the largest share, at 45 per cent. General cargo came second, accounting for 36 per cent of the total cargo volume handled at the Port of Gdańsk.
The rapidly growing general cargo segment increased by 17 per cent year-on-year to 15.2 million tonnes. According to the port authority, 13.8 million tonnes were handled at the Baltic Hub Container Terminal alone. This represents an increase of 2 million tonnes, or 18 per cent, compared with the first half of 2025. In terms of container numbers, the terminal handled just under 1.6 million TEU, an increase of 23 per cent.
Coal handling on the rise
Due to the harsh winter, coal handling also increased significantly. It reached 4.3 million tonnes, 51 per cent higher than the previous year’s figure. The highest percentage growth, at 178 per cent, was recorded in the timber segment, which is small in terms of volume. A total of 81,000 tonnes were handled in this segment.
The other cargo groups remained at a stable level. In the first six months of this year, the handling of fuels reached 18.8 million tonnes, representing 98 per cent of the volume from the first half of the previous year. The throughput of other bulk goods amounted to 1.8 million tonnes, reaching 95 per cent of the previous year’s volume. Cereal handling totalled just under 1.3 million tonnes, an increase of 13 per cent, whilst ore handling stood at 173,000 tonnes, an increase of 7 per cent.
In the first half of 2026, 2,193 ships called at the Port of Gdańsk. This was 6 per cent more than in the corresponding period of the previous year. These included 1,793 merchant ships. In addition, 126 ferries carrying 46,000 passengers and 16 cruise ships carrying more than 11,000 passengers were handled.
Gdańsk expects further growth
According to the port, the results for the first half of 2026 clearly demonstrate its growing importance as a strategic link in international supply chains. The increase in cargo throughput confirms the port’s high operational efficiency and is, at the same time, a key factor in the necessary further development of the port’s infrastructure.
“Such a marked increase in cargo handling confirms the growing scale of the Port of Gdańsk’s operational activities, as well as its strategic importance to the economy. This is the result of a consistently and pragmatically implemented strategy to expand infrastructure, increase operational efficiency and adapt the port’s services to the changing requirements of the market and business partners,” explains Dorota Pyć, Chair of the Board of the Port of Gdańsk Authority.
“The outlook for the coming months is also optimistic. The continuing growth trend, supported by stable demand for port services and the further development of key cargo handling segments, could lead to another record year for the Port of Gdańsk. We also see great potential to further strengthen the position of the Port of Gdańsk. As the sixth-largest port in the European Union, it plays an increasingly important role in the global maritime economy and in international supply chains.”
