Poland Maintains Border Closure Despite Chinese Pressure
Warsaw, Poland – Talks between chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski have failed to yield an agreement to reopen border crossings with Belarus, according to a report from Belarusian opposition channel Nexta. Beijing had reportedly requested the reopening, citing concerns over the transit of Chinese goods.
Despite the request,Poland continues to keep its border with Belarus closed. the decision impacts railway freight routes, which have seen significant growth recently. data from Upply indicates a 10.6% increase in railway freight volume between China and the EU in 2024.The value of this freight has surged to 25.07 billion euros, an 84.9% increase compared to 2023. Railway transport now accounts for 3.7% of total annual trade between Europe and China, up from 2.1% last year.
The border closure threatens delivery timelines for goods transported via chinese e-commerce platforms like Temu and Shein.Marek Rozycki, CEO of logistics company Last Mile Experts, told Polish publication Rzeczpospolita that blocked routes could force up to 30% of parcels to be shipped by air, significantly increasing costs and impacting service quality. He stated, “If this route is blocked, some parcels will be forced to be shipped by sea, and up to 30% will be shipped by air, which will inevitably affect the cost and operating quality.”
