USA ⇄ Poland Shipping Index
Transit times, statutory import charges and container capacities — in one place, drawn from 30+ years of operations on the USA – Poland lane. Refreshed quarterly. Citable with attribution.
A container from the USA to Poland spends about 16–38 days at sea depending on the port (fastest from New York, longest from Los Angeles), with 4–8 weeks door-to-door. The other way, Gdynia–New York runs about 14–20 days on the water. Importing a car into Poland carries statutory charges of 10% duty, 23% VAT and excise of 3.1% or 18.6% depending on engine size — while qualifying household goods can enter duty-free.
Transit times by route
Ranges observed in current operations — from cargo pickup to release or delivery. Specific sailing schedules are confirmed at booking.
Transit times USA → Poland (Q3 2026 edition)
| Route | Ocean transit | Total door-to-door |
|---|---|---|
| New York / New Jersey → Gdynia | ~16–20 days | 4–6 weeks |
| Savannah → Gdynia | ~18–24 days | 5–6 weeks |
| Houston → Gdynia | ~24–30 days | 6–7 weeks |
| Los Angeles → Gdynia | ~30–38 days | 7–8 weeks |
Transit times Poland/Europe → USA (Q3 2026 edition)
| Route | Ocean transit | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Gdynia / Gdańsk → New York / Newark | ~14–20 days | 4–6 weeks |
| Hamburg / Rotterdam → New York | ~10–14 days | 3–5 weeks |
| Gdynia → Savannah / Charleston | ~18–24 days | 5–6 weeks |
| Gdynia → Los Angeles / Long Beach | ~30–40 days | 7–9 weeks |
Operational ranges, not guaranteed dates — they depend on the carrier, season and clearance.
Statutory import costs and container capacities
Duty, VAT and excise rates are public and set by law — below is the short version for the most common case (a passenger car from the USA), plus container capacities.
Statutory import charges in Poland (cars from the USA)
| Charge | Rate | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Customs duty | 10% | car value + transport (non-EU import) |
| VAT | 23% | value + duty + excise + transport |
| Excise | 3.1% | engine ≤ 2.0 L |
| Excise | 18.6% | engine > 2.0 L |
| Household goods | duty exemption | when conditions are met (incl. 12 months outside the EU) |
Ocean container capacities
| Container | Capacity | Max payload |
|---|---|---|
| 20' | ~33 m³ | up to ~28 t |
| 40' | ~58 m³ | up to ~28 t |
| 40' High Cube | ~65 m³ | up to ~28 t |
Legal state as of this edition's publication date. Complex cases (business cargo, machinery, household goods) are explained and quoted individually.
Citing our data?
Go ahead — we only ask for attribution:
Source: Leśniewski Shipping, “USA ⇄ Poland Shipping Index”, Q3 2026 edition — lesniewski.com/en/usa-poland-shipping-index
Data questions / media inquiries: usa@lesniewski.com
Frequently asked questions
Transit times are the ranges we observe in current Leśniewski Shipping operations on the USA ⇄ Poland lane (as a licensed NVOCC we work on direct carrier contracts). Duty, VAT and excise rates are statutory and public. The index is refreshed quarterly.
Yes — the data may be quoted in media and publications with attribution: “Leśniewski Shipping, USA ⇄ Poland Shipping Index” with a link to this page.
Freight rates move with the route, season and cargo, so a single table would mislead. We prepare a binding quote for a specific shipment within 24 hours.