Recent statistics concerning the operation of seaports in the Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship indicate an alarming phenomenon: in January 2026 the handling of bulk goods in the Ports Complex Szczecin-Świnoujście fell by about 41% year-on-year, compared to the corresponding period of 2025 – from nearly 0.8 million tonnes to little than 0.5 million tonnes. All points to the fact that the Tusk Government effectively surrendered transhipments in this part of the Baltic, to the German port in Hamburg.
Tusk expires in the interests of Germany port in Szczecin. Data from the Central Statistical Office confirm that the category of bulk cargo – crucial for the port's industrial and logistics activity – recorded a clear volume breakdown. According to statistical reports, this trend is besides reflected in regional socio-economic situation reviews that monitor changes in economical activity of the region, including the activities of seaports.
According to any analysts and local politicians, specified a sharp decline is not only the momentary fluctuations in request for bulk loads, but the effect of deeper ownership changes and strategical investment decisions. Recently, the operator of the Bulk Cargo Mass Terminal in Port Szczecin, due to the deficiency of consequence from the central authorities, was taken over by German capital, which, as the critics argue, could have led to a change in the operational strategy and directions of transshipment, in favour of the port of Hamburg, at the expense of its home terminal potential.
Such allegations are raised, among others, from the mouths of erstwhile maritime ministers, who claim that these data are evidence of the negative effects of the ‘sale to Germany’ and that Polish ports lose their competitiveness towards German ports.
Statistics of the Statistical Office in Szczecin indicate that the regional West Pomeranian economy faces various challenges — from changes in employment, through industry, to maritime activities. Although the data do not clearly indicate the causes of the declines, comparing them with another elements of the economical situation shows that ports are not the only little functioning link of the local economy.
The declines in the bulk handling of seaports are rightly interpreted in public space as a consequence of the erroneous decisions of Donald Tusk's government. These increasingly consequence in the extinction of Polish manufacture and logistics capacity, the sale of strategical infrastructure assets to abroad investors and the usage of abroad ports at national expense.
Without a clear and consistent Polish port infrastructure improvement strategy, our country will proceed to lose on trade and logistics – key sectors for export and distribution within the country.
Industries and seaports should be a pillar of economical sovereignty alternatively than the subject of short-term decisions by private investors or apparent restructuring. A drop of 41% in specified an crucial category of transhipment is simply a informing signal for the maritime manufacture and politicians. Without the consequence of decision-makers and without restructuring the port improvement strategy, the West Pomeranian region can proceed to lose its importance in European logistics, while transhipment centres beyond the western border are increasing stronger.
The example of ports in Szczecin and Świnoujście is so at least a partial symptom of wider structural changes in the Polish economy, which is extinguished by the government in the interests of Germany.
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