Eastern Europe as a Logistics Hub

As part of the “Cargo Café” series hosted by our long-standing U.S. partner Bestway, Frank Markovits, Station Manager Vienna & Graz and Product Manager European Air Freight, together with Lazar Petković, Managing Director for Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, discussed the rapid evolution of Eastern European logistics markets and what these developments mean in practical terms for customers, importers, and logistics partners.

Growth Backed by Strong Regional Presence

Today, Cargomind operates across 17 countries with 33 offices, all strategically located directly at major airports or seaports. A deliberate move that reflects the company’s operational philosophy. “We want to be where the cargo is, right at the airport,” says Frank Markovits. “That gives us far more flexibility to step in and adjust processes when needed.” This proximity delivers measurable results. In Vienna, urgent export shipments are typically handled within three to four hours, and in exceptional cases, as little as ninety minutes before departure.

Eastern Europe as a Sourcing Alternative: A Realistic Perspective

Lazar Petković offers a balanced view of the region. Western Balkan countries, such as Serbia and Bosnia, are not part of the EU single market. This means that border crossings can involve an average waiting time of up to 16 hours on each side. “From a business standpoint, that naturally makes EU countries more attractive,” Petković explains. “But Serbia and Bosnia still offer significant opportunities. The workforce is highly skilled, labor costs remain well below EU levels, and the quality can absolutely compete internationally — if you identify the right niche.” Several sectors stand out in particular for U.S. importers: automotive manufacturing (structurally important despite current stagnation), food production and FMCG, IT-related services, and the furniture industry. Petković also highlights the region’s wine industry, especially in Serbia, Romania, and Moldova. “The wines are genuinely outstanding,” he says, “but they’re still largely undiscovered in the U.S. market.”

Infrastructure Moving Fast

Infrastructure development across Southeast Europe has accelerated significantly over the past decade and a half. The Port of Koper is tripling its container handling capacity to as much as one million TEU annually, while the new container terminal in Rijeka is already operational. Meanwhile, the new high-speed rail connection between Belgrade and Budapest is set to open this year. This will allow cargo from Serbia to reach the U.S. via Hamburg in as little as 20 days. "Five years ago, this route would have taken 40 to 45 days," says Petković. Budapest has also transformed into a major air freight gateway over the past 15 to 20 years. “Budapest barely registered on the air cargo map in the past,” explains Frank Markovits. "Today, between 15 and 25 cargo aircraft from Asia arrive there every day, and Vienna is only a three-hour drive away. This gives us a level of flexibility for Asian imports that we simply didn’t have before.”

Flexibility as a Core Operational Strength

In today's volatile logistics environment, which is shaped by the Middle East crisis, Suez Canal disruptions, and broader geopolitical uncertainty, operational agility is essential. At the height of escalations in the Middle East, for example, when Vienna suddenly lost 60 percent of its cargo capacity overnight, Cargomind successfully rerouted a time-sensitive Formula 1 shipment through Frankfurt. This level of responsiveness is only possible through direct communication between stations and by avoiding long-term capacity commitments with individual airlines. "We listen to our customers, identify the bottlenecks, and adapt the process around them — not the other way around," says Frank Markovits, summing up the company’s philosophy. "Customers bring us a problem, and we solve it." For companies looking to enter Eastern European markets or diversify their supply chains, Cargomind’s network offers deep regional expertise, fast decision-making, and operational flexibility — a combination that makes a tangible difference in highly dynamic market conditions.

The full webinar is also available to watch on YouTube:: Cargo Cafe: Eastern Europe on the Rise with Cargomind - YouTube