Central and Eastern Europe is strengthening its position as one of the continent’s key logistics hubs. A growing number of Asian companies view the CEE region as a natural gateway to the European market, using it both for the transshipment and distribution of goods and as a location for factories, warehouses and logistics centres.
As a result, Central and Eastern Europe is playing an increasingly important role in European supply chains. This is particularly evident in road transport, which remains the primary means of distributing goods across the continent.
These trends represent a major business opportunity for the region, particularly for the logistics sector. Global companies are looking for partners with local expertise, developed infrastructure and the capabilities required to manage complex supply chains efficiently across multiple markets.
Asia Is a Key Economic Partner for Europe
Europe remains closely connected to Asia in economic terms. China continues to be one of the European Union’s key trading partners, with imports from the country increasing by 6.4% year on year in 2025.
At the same time, ASEAN countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are playing an increasingly important role. Trade in goods between the EU and the region has grown by 67% over the past decade.
Central Asia also offers considerable potential as a rapidly developing region. As a company operating in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, we are observing not only an inflow of European investment but also the growth of local businesses. Over time, these companies may become increasingly confident in expanding internationally, including into European markets.
Central and Eastern European countries are becoming the natural gateway for these flows of goods. Whether shipments reach Europe by sea, through ports on the Baltic and North seas, or overland by rail and road, their onward distribution depends primarily on road transport.
Thanks to its strategic location, well-developed logistics infrastructure and dense transport network, the CEE region now serves as a continental distribution hub. It enables efficient deliveries across the entire European market, from Scandinavia and Western Europe to Southern Europe and the Balkans.
CEE Is Becoming Europe’s Factory and Warehouse
The CEE region also serves as a manufacturing and warehousing base for the whole of Europe, a role that is becoming increasingly visible.
In response to the need to diversify sourcing and shorten supply chains, companies are increasingly choosing the region for new investments. This is making Central and Eastern Europe one of the main beneficiaries of the nearshoring trend.
The shift is also driving demand for road transport services, both for deliveries of raw materials and components to manufacturing plants and for the distribution of finished products to customers throughout Europe.
Investment figures confirm this trend. Poland is currently the most frequently selected investment destination in the region. Among companies planning new projects in CEE, 56% identify Poland as their preferred location, an increase of 11 percentage points year on year.
Romania is also developing rapidly. In 2025, the country attracted 16% more foreign direct investment projects than in the previous year.
Main Distribution Routes from CEE
Goods flows from the CEE region demonstrate how strongly Central and Eastern Europe is now integrated with the economy of the entire continent.
Western Europe remains the principal export destination for countries in the region. Germany plays a particularly important role, as it is the largest trading partner of virtually all the major CEE economies.
Germany accounts for approximately 28% of Poland’s exports, nearly 30% of exports from the Czech Republic, around 22% from Slovakia and approximately 25% from Hungary.
Other Western and Southern European countries, including France, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain, are also significant destinations.
We are also seeing stable transport volumes on routes to the United Kingdom. Despite Brexit, the UK remains one of the more important markets for exporters from the region, while efficient customs clearance is essential to maintaining the smooth flow of operations.
Scandinavia is another important destination, with Poland acting as a natural logistics hub for serving the Nordic markets from the European mainland.
Romania and Slovenia, meanwhile, are strengthening their positions as gateways to the Balkans, where rising consumption is increasing demand for road transport, particularly in the FMCG, electronics and consumer goods sectors.
At the same time, the volume of trade within the CEE region itself is growing. The Czech Republic is Poland’s second- or third-largest export market, while Slovakia, Hungary and Romania are also among its most important trading partners.
This demonstrates that CEE is functioning as an increasingly integrated internal market of more than 100 million consumers.
Local Expertise and International Experience
At Rohlig SUUS Logistics, we recognise the enormous business potential created by these trends and are consistently strengthening our presence in the region.
We support customers in designing and managing supply chains tailored to the specific requirements of their businesses. We provide full truckload, part truckload and less-than-truckload transport services in both domestic and international markets.
A broad operational reach is essential in international transport. We therefore operate more than 350 regular international groupage connections each week.
Our strategy is based on close cooperation with local partners. Using our logistics centres, we are also developing our own distribution network across the Visegrád Group region, covering Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
Customs services are another key element of our offering. They help ensure the smooth flow of operations both for imports from Asia and for distribution to markets requiring customs procedures, including the United Kingdom and Ukraine.
In these markets, efficient customs clearance is critical to maintaining the continuity and effectiveness of supply chains.
Source: Managerplus.pl
