After days of uncertainty, Poland has announced the reopening of its border crossings with Belarus. The decision, effective at midnight on Thursday, immediately eases pressure on one of the most important bottlenecks for Eurasian trade.
The hub of Małaszewicze, which handles nearly 90 percent of China–Europe Express Rail traffic, had been paralyzed. In recent days, more than 8,000 containers piled up, and truck lines stretched for 25 kilometers. Some freight trains were running five to seven days late, forcing forwarders to reroute cargo through longer, more expensive alternatives.
The reopening should start to clear the backlog, but not overnight. Logistics providers estimate it will take seven to ten days to restore normal flows. In the meantime, congestion surcharges – which had climbed to €150 to €200 per container – are expected to taper off gradually.
Truckers will also feel the relief. Average wait times at the crossings, which had stretched into multiple days, are projected to fall back to six to eight hours once operations stabilize.
One freight operator summed up the mood: “We’ve been firefighting for weeks. Getting Małaszewicze back online doesn’t solve every problem, but it gives us breathing space.”
For Europe’s supply chains, the announcement is more than symbolic. It signals the reopening of a lifeline that connects Asian factories to European markets – a reminder of how fragile, and how vital, these corridors remain.
