Hungary’s economy shifting its focus towards export orientation as 2026 has seen its domestic automotive and electronic goods industries experience significant growth.

According to the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), exports to the United States in January to August were more than 35 percent higher than a year earlier, while exports to Poland, Hungary’s second most important export market after Germany, rose by 6.7 percent.

Imports are growing in parallel, as local plants rely to a large extent on components sourced from abroad. For logistics, this means higher volumes in both directions, as well as new requirements for transport infrastructure and warehousing capacity.

“As a logistics operator present in Hungary through our own subsidiary, we see these changes across the entire supply chain, from the transport of components to production plants to the distribution of finished goods to foreign markets. The location of warehouses is also becoming more important, as new facilities are being built close to factories and main transport routes,” László Molnár, Managing Director, Rohlig SUUS Logistics, Hungary said.

Auto-motives for growth

Industry currently has the greatest impact on Hungary’s foreign trade performance. In August, exports of transport equipment and electronics were almost 40 percent higher than a year earlier, which shows how quickly new production capacity translates into sales abroad.

A good example is Debrecen, where the BMW plant has once again increased its production volume. At the same time, this economic model generates steady demand for imports, as export production depends to a large extent on parts and components sourced from abroad.

Paweł Kaźmierczak, CEO and Managing Director of 4R has highlighted more widely the impact this has had on Central and Eastern Europe. Businesses have utilised the high quality labour and manufacturing within this reason, which he believes is adding to the export potential. This has been quantified by the volumes that 4RCargo have seen generated by the automotive industry. This is a region to watch more widely for these movements as the strategic location is key in complementing the existing infrastructure.

Hungary specifically, however, is landlocked, so its overseas trade, including growing trade with the United States, from where imports almost doubled in eight months, volume wise primarily passes through ports in neighbouring countries. This in turn makes its road network and airfreight connections vital arteries in generating this trade.

“The air freight market is also undergoing changes. Regulatory developments and additional EU customs requirements have contributed to a decline in low-value e-commerce shipments, reducing volumes handled at airports. For general cargo-focused operators such as Rohlig SUUS Logistics, this creates both opportunities and challenges. Handling agents are paying greater attention to traditional freight forwarders and general cargo shipments, while the withdrawal of some air cargo capacity has reduced the range of export options available. At the same time, rates to Asia have become more competitive on certain trade lanes,” László Molnár, Managing Director, Rohlig SUUS Logistics, Hungary said.

“Manufacturers, particularly in the automotive sector, are increasingly interested in VMI (Vendor Managed Inventory), a model that combines warehousing, inventory management and customs services. The logistics operator handles the import of components and manages their stock, while the customer pays for the goods and settles the related customs duties and taxes only when the components are released from the warehouse for production. This allows manufacturers to keep the parts they need readily available without tying up capital in inventory before it is needed on the production line.”

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