The Garland Group, one of the leading national players in the logistics, transport and shipping sector, has decided to strengthen its offering to this region of the world by creating a land transport line between Portugal and the Czech Republic/Slovakia.
Composed of industrialized countries and one of the regions most benefited by European funds, Eastern Europe has experienced economic growth. Considered the poorest countries on the continent, their entry into the European Union in 2004 has boosted their economies. National exports to Western Slavic countries have been increasing.
According to the INE (National Institute of Statistics), the Czech Republic was the 21st largest customer for Portuguese exports of goods in 2020, while it ranked 17th in terms of imports. The number of trade transactions between Portugal and the Czech Republic grew by 15% in terms of exports between 2017 and 2019, and by 33% in terms of imports.
Garland
For this market, in addition to daily full truckload departures, Garland's new groupage service includes twice-weekly export departures and one weekly import departure. Transit time is four to six working days.
According to Luís Ribeiro, national sales director of Garland Transport Solutions, a company within the group dedicated to the transport sector, the number of service requests for Eastern Europe grew by approximately 5% last year, even amidst the pandemic. The main product groups traded between Portugal and the Czech Republic are machinery and equipment, vehicles and other transport equipment, plastics and rubber, textiles, and chemical products.
“ These are countries where significant economic growth is expected, and whose trade transactions with Portugal have been increasing. In addition to a strategic location within the European context, which aligns with our commitment to maintaining capillarity in this specific region, the main goods traded fall within sectors that we consider essential for our growth ,” explains Luís Ribeiro, who expects to announce new solutions for clients with activity and interest in Eastern Europe in the coming months.
