Blockades, Fuel Surcharges, and New Regulations: A Week of Tensions in Transport and Logistics

On the night of March 25 to 26, 2026, Polish road transport companies, including those united in the Transport Carriers and Employers Defense Committee, resumed the blockade of four main border crossings^[1] with Ukraine: Dorohusk, Korczowa, Hrebenne, and Medyka. The protest concerns the exemption of Ukrainian companies from the requirement^[2] to hold permits for transport under the EU–Ukraine agreement, which transporters argue floods the market with cheaper competition from the East. According to the VisaHQ.com service, truck queues in Dorohusk and Korczowa reached^[3] more than 30 km on the morning of March 26, while the estimated waiting time for clearance exceeds 30 days^[4]. Companies are redirecting cargo via detours through Slovakia and Hungary^[5], adding around +500 km and up to +2 days longer transit. This is significant for the Poland–Ukraine trade exchange, which was valued at about 11 billion USD in 2024, with Poland being Ukraine’s second-largest trade partner after Germany.

Border Blockade with Ukraine

The situation on the eastern corridors is further complicated by earlier administrative decisions. Ten smaller border crossings with the Kaliningrad Oblast and Belarus have been closed^[6], lengthening routes by up to 300 km. The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) maintains restriction zones from March 10 to June 9, 2026^[7], along the Belarusian and Ukrainian borders, causing delays or cancellations of some cargo flights at Warsaw Chopin and Rzeszów-Jasionka airports. Simultaneously, temporary controls on borders with Germany and Lithuania, effective at least until April 4, double transit times through the Świecko crossing^[8] on the A2 motorway. These factors increase costs and delivery times both for goods headed to Ukraine and transit cargo, raising the prospect of intervention by the European Commission, which already mediated a similar dispute in 2024.

Global Fuel Surcharges and the Hormuz Crisis

Parallel to border tensions, Polish and foreign shippers are feeling the impact of the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. Since March 16, 2026, Poland has introduced the Intermodal Fuel Fee, raising land transport rates:^[9] by 6% for trucks and 4% for rail. In Australia, surcharges reach 16–17%, while from April 6 in the Czech Republic trucks will pay an additional 6%^[11], and rail transport an extra 3%. In Canada, from mid-April the surcharge will be 14% for road^[12] and 12% for rail transport. The corporation justifies these decisions by the fact^[13] that approximately 20% of global fuel supplies pass through Hormuz, where disruptions create an unprecedented cost environment^[14] for all land and multimodal transport.

The crisis in the Persian Gulf also translates into operational bottlenecks. In the week of March 22–28, the Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates recorded an average ship waiting time^[15] of 4.25 days (median 5.74 days) with 20 vessels waiting for service. The situation is even more critical in East Africa: average waiting time reaches 7.4 days^[16], in Mombasa 5.19 days, while Conakry and Beira ports face critical risk levels^[17] with waits up to about 15 days. In early March, the daily rate for VLCC tankers exceeded 423,736 USD^[18], and LNG rates rose by more than 40%^[19]. The CMA CGM line introduced an emergency surcharge^[20] of 2,000 USD/TEU and 3,000 USD/FEU, increasing to 4,000 USD/FEU for refrigerated cargo. This forces the extension of time buffers^[21] in supply chains linked to the Gulf and Africa, alongside expectations of further surcharges from other operators like Hapag-Lloyd.

New SENT and ICS2 Obligations

In the domestic market, logistics and trading companies are affected by the expanded SENT system and the upcoming ICS2 obligation. According to the Ministry of Finance and Economy decree from September 10, 2025, the SENT system, from March 17, 2026, includes four new product groups^[22]: knitted clothing (CN chapter 61), other clothing than in CN 62, used clothing (CN code 6309 00 00), and footwear (CN chapter 64, excluding parts). Declarations are required from 10 kg gross weight^[23] of clothing or 20 pieces (10 pairs) of footwear, with mixed shipments based on total weight. Penalties imposed by the National Revenue Administration are threatened^[24], and initial inspections will target unprepared entities already in March and April. The obligation applies to both senders and carriers, with notifications made via the PUESC platform.

More serious consequences may arise from ICS2 implementation in road and rail transport. Poland, like Croatia, Latvia, Romania, and Slovakia, benefits from a derogation only until June 1, 2026^[25]. From that day, every vehicle entering the EU through the Polish border must submit an electronic ENS declaration at least 1 hour prior to crossing in road transport and 2 hours ahead in rail. The declaration must include detailed cargo description, a 6-digit HS code, sender and receiver EORI numbers, and vehicle and driver data. Failure to provide proper declarations will result in cargo detention and penalties, particularly risky on routes from Poland to Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic, where ICS2 has been active since September 2025. Companies must choose between their own IT systems, the PUESC platform, or external customs agents.

CBAM and EU State Aid Rules

Concurrently, a key deadline approaches for the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). By March 31, 2026, importers of particularly emission-intensive goods—cement, electricity, fertilizers, iron and steel, aluminum, and hydrogen— must apply for Authorized Declarant status under CBAM^[26]. The obligation concerns entities importing more than 50 tons of these products annually. From February 2027, the first CBAM certificate purchases will begin, with prices linked to the average EU ETS allowance price. Lack of authorization risks import blockage, and applying default, inflated emission values increases costs, compelling companies to obtain precise carbon footprint data from non-EU suppliers.

A new instrument that could ease some shocks in Polish rail logistics is the adoption by the European Commission of the State Aid Transport Block Exemption Regulation (TBER) and Land & Multimodal Transport Guidelines (LMT). These came into effect on March 30, 2026, and are valid at least until December 31, 2034^[27]. They replace the 2008 regulations and simplify state aid rules for rail, inland navigation, and intermodal terminals without individual notification in many cases. For entities like PKP Cargo or PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe, this means faster funding for rolling stock, infrastructure, and low-emission projects, provided support translates into real modal shift and emission reduction.

Rail Infrastructure and Shipping Consolidation

Amid regulatory changes, international infrastructure and capital events unfold. In Spain, the rail infrastructure manager ADIF closed the Rubí tunnel on March 14, 2026, due to structural damage^[28] on the Castellbisbal–Rubí section, a key rail link between Barcelona and France. The closure will last 5–7 weeks, leading to the suspension of Barcelona–Toulouse and Barcelona–Lyon rail connections operated by companies including Maersk. The proposed detour via Lleida was rejected by firms as too time-consuming, forcing cargo transfer to road transport through Zaragoza and increasing costs and CO₂ emissions on the Iberian corridor, also used by Polish importers and exporters.

In the background of these operational disruptions, the global container market continues consolidating. Hapag-Lloyd announced in February 2026 its acquisition of the Israeli operator ZIM^[29] Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. for 35 USD per share, totaling about 4.2 billion USD in value. Upon closing, expected by the end of 2026 after regulatory approvals, the new group will operate a fleet of about 400 vessels^[30] with a capacity of 3 million TEU and an annual volume of 18 million TEU, strengthening Hapag-Lloyd’s position as the world’s fifth-largest carrier with around 9% market share. For Polish ports, this may lead to shifting ZIM services, especially in the Pacific and Latin America, to the Gemini alliance network formed by Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk, creating competitive pressure on smaller lines and feeder operators serving Gdańsk and Gdynia.

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