Poland's Top Imports & Exports 2008
Polish Alcoholic Beverages Provide Strong Trade Advantages
Sep 30, 2009
Generating a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) valued at US$525.7 billion, Poland was the world’s 18th richest country in 2008.
With a population of 38.5 million Polish citizens who enjoyed an average GDP of $17,300 per person last year, Poland finished 69th among other nations in terms of GDP per capita.
As the world’s 26th biggest exporter, Poland shipped $175.3 billion worth of exports in 2008. Principal Polish exports were machinery, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals. Based on 2008 statistics, Poland’s largest export clients were Germany (24.9%), France (6.2%), Italy (6%), the United Kingdom (5.7%), Czech Republic (5.6%) and Russia (5.3%).
According to the CIA World Factbook, Poland imported $199 billion worth of foreign goods last year. Major commodities imported into Poland include machinery, transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, minerals, fuels and lubricants. Leading suppliers to Poland were Germany (28.3%), Russia (9.9%), Italy (6.2%), Netherlands (5.4%), France (4.8%), China (4.5%) and Czech Republic (4%).
In total, Poland’s international trade amounted to $374.3 billion or 71.2% of its overall GDP. This compares with roughly 25% for the U.S. and 60% for Canada.
Polish Trade with the U.S.
Last year, Polish exports to America rose 16.2% to $2.6 billion. Over that same period, Poland bought $4.1 billion worth of U.S. imports – an increase of 32.2%.
Therefore, Poland’s trade deficit with the U.S. came to $5.4 billion in 2008.
The lists below present the top 10 exports and imports that American and Polish enterprises exchanged in 2008. The fastest-growing trade product categories are also shown.
Poland’s Top Exports to America
Leading Polish exports shipped to the U.S. in 2008 are relatively small and highly diversified. Of these product categories, 7 showed percentage gains ranging from 7.5% to 103.8%. Among the 3 Polish export categories with decreased U.S. sales last year, civilian aircraft engines and chinaware-type products were down by double-digits.
- Electric apparatus … US$207.2 million, up 28.6% from 2007 (8% of US imports from Poland)
- Household items including furniture and baskets … $195 million, up 55.5% (7.5%)
- Other industrial machinery … $165.3 million, up 7.8% (6.4%)
- Civilian aircraft engines … $129.9 million, down 26.6% (5%)
- Other vehicle parts and accessories … $80.3 million, up 3.4% (3.1%)
- Other scientific, medical and hospital equipment … $75.6 million, up 108.3% (2.92%)
- Measuring, testing and control instruments … $74.2 million, up 14.5% (2.87%)
- Alcoholic beverages excluding wine … $72.5 million, down 8.1% (2.8%)
- Writing and art supplies … $69.1 million, up 18.8% (2.7%)
- Chinaware, glassware, porcelain … $66.9 million, down 23.9% (2.6%).
Fastest-Growing Polish Exports to the U.S.
While relatively small, the top 3 Polish export categories posted remarkable increases for 2008 of over 1,000%. The first 2 export product categories below had formidable gains of over 1,000% in 2008. The other 7 export product categories enjoyed robust double-digit percentage gains over 2007.
- Coal and related fuels … US$30.5 million, up 25,962% from 2007
- Aluminum … $10 million, up 1,869%
- Other gem stones … $9.7 million, up 1,318%
- Laboratory testing and control instruments … $7.8 million, up 598%
- Synthetics (cork, gums, rubbers, wood) … $2.5 million, up 564.6%
- Civilian aircraft, complete … $8.1 million, up 562.1%
- Computers … $2 million, up 551.5%
- Fuel oil … $66.7 million, up 466.3%
- Semi-finished iron and steel mill products … $32.6 million, up 379.7%
- Copper … $6.8 million, up 341.9%.
Poland’s Top Imports from America
US military aircraft exports to Poland accounted for more than a quarter of American supplies to the Central European country in 2008. Triple-digit increases in American passenger car sales pushed passenger cars into second-place among most popular US exports to Poland.
- Military aircraft, complete … US$1.1 billion, up 17% from 2007 (25.6% of US exports to Poland)
- Passenger cars … $309.6 million, up 121.2% (7.5%)
- Metallurgical grade coal … $247.7 million, up 535% (6%)
- Civilian aircraft … $143.5 million, up 35.5% (3.5%)
- Telecommunications equipment … $126.8 million, up 15.6% (3.1%)
- Pharmaceutical preparations … $112.4 million, up 92.7% (2.7%)
- Pulpwood … $92.1 million, up 19.9% (2.23%)
- Other industrial machines … $91.5 million, up 48.5% (2.22%)
- Medicinal equipment … $86.7 million, up 19.3% (2.1%)
- Parts for military-type goods … $68.5 million, up 137.2% (1.7%).
Fastest-Growing Polish Imports from the U.S.
American exports of steelmaking materials and coins posted gains well in excess of 1,000% in 2008. The other 8 US exports to Poland generated percentage increases of at least 140.2%.
- Steelmaking materials … US$9.9 million, up 8,242% from 2007
- Numismatic collectible coins … $2.6 million, up 5,003%
- Plastic materials … $67.7 million, up 784.6%
- Metallurgical grade coal … $247.7 million, up 535%
- Animal feeds … $13.5 million, up 528.6%
- Stereo equipment … $5.9 million, up 236.5%
- Iron and steel mill products … $21.4 million, up 212.2%
- Specialized mining products … $11.6 million, up 155.6%
- Non-metallic minerals … $1.6 million, up 146.7%
- Food and tobacco machinery … $19.1 million, up 140.2%.
Comparative Trade Advantages
During 2008, Poland exported $72.5 million worth of alcoholic beverages excluding wine to the U.S. while importing only $4.9 million worth of American liquor. Polish exporters also shipped $11.9 million worth of Polish wine to the U.S. while consuming $1.1 million in American wines.
These Polish-American trade statistics show that Poland has a comparative advantage in alcoholic beverage products from hard liquors to wines.
The other side of the coin is that America exported over $1 billion worth of military aircraft in 2008, contrasted with $8.6 million in Polish military aircraft shipments to the U.S. This large discrepancy clearly shows that America has a comparative advantage in producing military aircraft for Poland.
Sources
This analysis is based on latest statistics from the US Census Bureau- Foreign Trade Statistics and CIA World Factbook as of the date of article publication.
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