That dollar amount reflects a 53.8% in Polish spending compared to $218 billion in imports for 2017.
Year over year, the dollar value of Poland’s imports inflated by 31.7% from $254.7 billion during 2020.
By dollar spending, Poland’s 5 biggest imported products are crude oil, cars, automobile parts or accessories, phone devices including smartphones, and medication mixes in dosage. Combined, those 5 leading import products amount to 12.7% of the total value for all Polish imports.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2021, the Polish złoty declined by -2.2% against the US dollar since 2017 but increased by 1% from 2020 to 2021. Poland’s weaker local currency since 2017 makes paid for in stronger US dollars relatively more expensive when converted starting from the Polish złoty.
Poland’s Most Valuable Suppliers for Imported Products
The latest available country-specific data shows that 69% of products imported into Poland were furnished by exporters in: Germany (21.1% of Poland’s global total), mainland China (14.8%), Russia (6%), Italy (5%), Netherlands (4.1%), France (3.4%), Czech Republic (3.2%), United States of America (3.1%), South Korea (2.3%), Spain (2.2%), Belgium (2.1%) and Slovakia (1.9%).
From a continental perspective, 65.7% of Poland’s total imports by value were purchased from fellow European countries. Asian trade partners supplied 28.1% of the value for import products bought by Poland.
Smaller percentages originated from North America (3.5%), Latin America (1.3%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (1.2%) then Oceania (0.2%) led by Australia, the Marshall Islands and New Zealand.
Given Poland’s population of 38 million people, its total $335.5 billion in 2021 imports translates to roughly $8,900 in yearly product demand from every person in the Central European country. That dollar metric far outpaces the average $6,800 per capita one year earlier in 2020.
Poland’s Top 10 Imports
The following product groups represent the highest dollar value in Poland’s import purchases during 2021. Also shown is the percentage share each product category represents in terms of overall imports into Poland.
- Electrical machinery, equipment: US$44.8 billion (13.3% of total imports)
- Machinery including computers: $40.6 billion (12.1%)
- Vehicles: $27.4 billion (8.2%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $21.2 billion (6.3%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $21 billion (6.3%)
- Iron, steel: $15.2 billion (4.5%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $8.3 billion (2.5%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $7.9 billion (2.4%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $6.9 billion (2%)
- Aluminum: $6.5 billion (1.9%)
Poland’s top 10 imports accounted for about three-fifths (59.5%) of the overall value of its product purchases from other countries.
Imported iron and steel posted the fastest-growing increase in cost among Poland’s top 10 import categories, up by 77.3% from 2020 to 2021.
Polish imports of mineral fuels including oil grew by 55.6% year over year.
Rising 43.8% were imported plastics–both as materials and items made from plastic.
The line decliner year over year was for Poland’s spending on imported pharmaceuticals via a -2.4% reduction.
Please note that the results listed above are at the 2-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level. Information presented under other virtual folder tabs is at the more granular 4-digit level.
Poland’s Major Imports of Electrical Products
In 2021, Polish importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of electronic equipment including computers.
- Phone devices including smartphones: US$6.5 billion (up 17.9% from 2020)
- TV/radio/radar device parts: $4.4 billion (up 63.1%)
- Integrated circuits/microassemblies: $3.8 billion (up 17.2%)
- Electric storage batteries: $3.1 billion (up 25.7%)
- Insulated wire/cable: $2.6 billion (up 34.9%)
- TV receivers/monitors/projectors: $2.5 billion (up 23.8%)
- Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $2.2 billion (up 27.3%)
- Electrical converters/power units: $1.9 billion (up 35.4%)
- Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $1.8 billion (up 31.9%)
- Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $1.7 billion (up 69.6%)
Among these import subcategories, Polish purchases of solar power diodes and semi-conductors (up 69.6%), television or radio and radar device parts (up 63.1%) then electrical converters or power units (up 35.4%) grew at the fastest pace from 2020 to 2021.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported electronics among Polish businesses and consumers.
Poland’s Major Imports of Machinery Products
In 2021, Polish importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of machines including computers.
- Computers, optical readers: US$5.1 billion (up 14.8% from 2020)
- Turbo-jets: $2.7 billion (up 33.9%)
- Computer parts, accessories: $2.5 billion (down -1.5%)
- Piston engine parts: $1.95 billion (up 12.3%)
- Taps, valves, similar appliances: $1.93 billion (up 32.4%)
- Air or vacuum pumps: $1.83 billion (up 29.7%)
- Centrifuges, filters and purifiers: $1.77 billion (up 10.9%)
- Transmission shafts, gears, clutches: $1.6 billion (up 24.7%)
- Liquid pumps and elevators: $1.5 billion (up 20.3%)
- Miscellaneous machinery: $1.3 billion (down -11.9%)
Among these import subcategories, Polish purchases of turbo-jets (up 33.9%), taps, valves and similar appliances (up 32.4%) then air or vacuum pumps (up 29.7%) grew at the fastest pace from 2020 to 2021.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported machinery among Polish businesses and consumers.
Poland’s Major Imports of Vehicles and Related Products
In 2021, Polish importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of vehicles and related products.
- Cars: US$10.3 billion (up 16.2% from 2020)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $8.7 billion (up 24.7%)
- Tractors: $2.9 billion (up 79%)
- Trucks: $2.4 billion (up 46.5%)
- Trailers: $1.4 billion (up 73.7%)
- Motorcycle parts/accessories: $516 million (up 68.4%)
- Automobile bodies: $395.8 million (up 71.9%)
- Motorcycles: $270.5 million (up 50.1%)
- Special purpose vehicles: $157.5 million (up 10.3%)
- Bicycles, other non-motorized cycles: $131.3 million (up 35%)
Among these import subcategories, Polish purchases of tractors (up 79%), trailers (up 73.7%) then automobile bodies (up 71.9%) grew at the fastest pace from 2020 to 2021.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported vehicles among Polish businesses and consumers.
Poland’s Major Imports of Plastics
In 2021, Polish importers spent the most on the following 10 subcategories of plastics materials and goods.
- Miscellaneous plastic items: US$2.5 billion (up 26.1% from 2020)
- Ethylene polymers: $2.5 billion (up 72.4%)
- Propylene/olefin polymers: $2 billion (up 74%)
- Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips: $1.9 billion (up 24.7%)
- Polyacetal/ether/carbonates: $1.8 billion (up 53.9%)
- Plastic packing goods, lids, caps: $1.4 billion (up 20.1%)
- Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips: $1.3 billion (up 48.6%)
- Styrene polymers: $1.1 billion (up 67.5%)
- Amino-resins: $909.5 million (up 71.5%)
- Vinyl chloride polymers: $857.4 million (up 112.7%)
Among these import subcategories, Polish purchases of vinyl chloride polymers (up 112.7%), propylene and olefin polymers (up 74%) then ethylene polymers (up 72.4%) grew at the fastest pace from 2020 to 2021.
These amounts and the percentage gains within parenthesis clearly show where the strongest demand lies for different types of imported plastics-related products among Polish businesses and consumers.
See also Poland’s Top Trading Partners, Poland’s Top 10 Exports, Czech Republic’s Top Trading Partners and Germany’s Top Trading Partners
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on June 12, 2022
International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on June 12, 2022
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on June 12, 2022
Wikipedia, Poland. Accessed on June 12, 2022
