Greek customs lets COSCO send Piraeus containers by rail before clearance

Transports of goods from non-EU countries via Piraeus are meant to become much faster; whether the rail infrastructure is up to it remains to be seen.

According to press reports, the Greek customs authorities are allowing COSCO, the operator of the Piraeus container port, to send containers arriving by sea straight on by rail within Greece and the EU without customs treatment on the spot; inspection takes place only at the destination. The aim is to speed up above all transports from non-EU countries via Piraeus; whether the rail infrastructure can cope is an open question. (LOK Report, 22 Sep 2026)