Simarco Bets on the East: How UK Logistics is Finding New Growth in Romania

When most people picture European trade, their minds jump instinctively to the familiar corridors of the EU core: Germany’s autobahns, France’s highways, the Dutch and Belgian ports that have long been the arteries of commerce. But increasingly, that picture is incomplete. A quieter shift is unfolding to the east, and companies like us are putting ourselves at the forefront.

For ourselves, the new battleground is in corridors that were once overlooked such as, UK–Romania. These routes long considered niche or ‘special projects,’ are starting to show the kind of volume and reliability that can change the logistics map of Europe.

From overlooked to essential

The pivot is no accident. In July, DP World completed a round of upgrades at Romania’s Port of Constanța, installing new scanning and yard automation technologies. The impact has been immediate: average transit times in the region have been cut almost in half.

At the same time, trade between Britain and Romania is growing faster than many expected. UK government figures released in August put bilateral trade at £9.9 billion in the year to Q1 2025, with exports from the UK to Romania up 11.3 percent. That’s no longer fringe business, it’s enough volume to demand regular services.

Romania itself is helping fuel the trend. Early August saw the first stretch of the new Aleșd–Hungarian border rail line enter service, a small but symbolic piece of a much larger infrastructure puzzle. Add to that fresh EU funding for rail and cross-border projects announced in July, and the region’s east–west links look set to strengthen even further.

Simarco’s move

Against this backdrop, we are pushing to make ‘beyond-core’ corridors feel mainstream. We are committed to regular UK–Romania groupage departures, giving exporters predictable services rather than ad-hoc arrangements.

But speed is only part of the story. What really matters for shippers is confidence. You can promise transit times, but unless you have local partners clearing customs, moving goods inland, and solving problems quickly, it doesn’t stick. That’s where we have invested.

Those investments include a strong partner network in Romania, as well as improved digital tracking systems that offer more transparency on shipments. For customers, especially SMEs exporting to new markets, the combination of predictable schedules and better visibility makes the difference between experimenting with a new trade lane and making it a regular part of their supply chain.

Over the last four years, we have also extended our partnerships across Europe, giving clients a one-stop solution for their shipping requirements, including emerging markets beyond the European Union. This strategy not only strengthens our network but also increases our ability to capture market share in new territories.

Beyond Romania: A wider European footprint

Our push east does not stop at Romania. We also offer:

• Norway: Weekly groupage departure from Stoke to Oslo.
• Hungary: Weekly direct departures in partnership with our Budapest-based partner.
• Romania: Weekly direct departures with our Timisoara-based partner.
• Bulgaria: Service available via our Hungary hub.
• Serbia: Twice-weekly direct departures to Belgrade, used as a gateway into the Balkan countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and North Macedonia.
• Switzerland: Twice weekly export and import groupage trailers between the UK and Switzerland

This wider network means our customers are not restricted to Western Europe’s traditional corridors. Instead, they gain seamless access to high-growth regions that are becoming central to the continent’s logistics future.

A wider trend in the Black Sea

Simarco is not alone in seeing the opportunity. Ro-ro and short-sea operators reported stronger August volumes through the Black Sea, suggesting that what was once a workaround is fast becoming a stable corridor. Industry coverage also highlights a surge in shipping activity in the region, even as operators work to manage security risks.

That momentum is important: forwarders can only offer reliable weekly services when they can count on carriers, ports, and inland networks to back them up. With the pieces falling into place, the east–southeast lanes are finally reaching that critical mass.

What it means for business

For manufacturers and exporters, the implications are tangible. Instead of defaulting to Western Europe’s congested corridors, UK companies with customers in Bucharest, Cluj, or Timișoara can look east with confidence. Faster transit, more stable pricing, and stronger infrastructure mean these routes are no longer the exception but an increasingly smart choice.

The bigger story is that logistics players like us are helping to normalise this shift. By marrying infrastructure gains with on-the-ground partnerships and dependable schedules, we are turning ‘underused’ corridors into Europe’s next growth lanes.