In the 16th century, Gdańsk was considered one of the most developed trading centers in Europe. It was here, on October 31, 1742, that the City Council approved a proposal from 88 companies to establish a trading exchange in Artus Court. The idea behind our events draws on this tradition. Face-to-face meetings were once the only way to build relationships, contributing to the success of those early entrepreneurs.
However, Gdańsk golden age came in the 17th century when city was among the wealthiest cities on the European continent. The port welcomed sailors, merchants, and people of science and the arts. The city’s prosperity was largely fueled by large-scale grain trade. Grains were transported to Gdańsk from various regions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth via inland waterways, primarily the Vistula River and its many tributaries. In 1618, grain exports beyond the country's borders reached 118,000 Gdańsk lasts (approximately 271,000 tons).
For many centuries, the center of trade was Artus Court (the Grain Exchange building) — it was here that merchants from across Europe met to negotiate grain prices with Polish suppliers.
Artus Court, Gdańsk, 1865: participants of the historic Gdańsk Grain Exchange.
Ports in Gdańsk and Gdynia have been dynamically increasing their throughput year by year, achieving a historically record total tonnage of nearly 110 million tons of all cargoes in 2023. While agricultural cargoes are not the largest in terms of volume, they bring significant profits to both traders and handling terminals. The impressive 2.5-fold increase in their turnover over the past four years is a point of pride for all stakeholders. In 2023, the ports of Gdańsk and Gdynia handled a total of 9.852 million tons of agricultural cargoes, with grain alone reaching nearly 7 million tons, underscoring the critical importance of Gdańsk and Gdynia in the overall handling of agricultural goods across all Polish ports.
In 2025, the first Gdańsk Transport Exchange organized by Zbigniew Ohler will take place.
Zbigniew Ohler
Drawing on the city's trading and transport traditions, we have created an event that offers an excellent opportunity for specialists from the transport industry, particularly those working closely with the grain sector and beyond, to meet. The first edition will take place at the Sheraton Conference Center in Sopot in 2025.
The event is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with entrepreneurs specializing in the transport of bulk goods.
Participants in Gdańsk Transport Exchange have the opportunity to meet with business partners whom they only know through phone or email contact. Our guests can also look forward to establishing fruitful collaborations with new clients.
Polski