That dollar amount results from a 37.7% gain compared to 2018 when Polish exports totaled $261.8 billion.
Year over year, the value of Poland’s exports rose 13.4% from $317.8 billion during 2021.
The top 5 trading partners buying the highest dollar worth of products exported from Poland are Germany, Czech Republic, France, United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Combined, that quintet of leading importers accounted for almost half (49.6%) of Polish exports by value.
Applying a continental lens, 88.5% of Poland’s exports by value was delivered to fellow European countries while 5.4% was sold to importers in Asia. Poland shipped another 4.1% worth of goods to North America.
Tinier percentages went to Africa (1.2%), Latin America (0.5%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (0.4%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Poland’s Top Trading Partners
Below is a list showcasing 25 of Poland’s top trading partners in terms of exports sales. These are countries that imported the most Polish shipments by dollar value during 2022. Also shown is each import country’s percentage of total Polish exports.
- Germany: US$100.2 billion (27.8% of Poland’s total exports)
- Czech Republic: $23.7 billion (6.6%)
- France: $20.5 billion (5.7%)
- United Kingdom: $17.6 billion (4.9%)
- Netherlands: $16.6 billion (4.6%)
- Italy: $16.6 billion (4.6%)
- United States: $10.77 billion (3%)
- Slovakia: $10.42 billion (2.9%)
- Ukraine: $10.13 billion (2.8%)
- Sweden: $9.6 billion (2.7%)
- Hungary: $9.3 billion (2.6%)
- Spain: $9.2 billion (2.5%)
- Belgium: $9 billion (2.5%)
- Austria: $8 billion (2.2%)
- Romania: $7.5 billion (2.1%)
- Lithuania: $6.4 billion (1.8%)
- Denmark: $6.1 billion (1.7%)
- Russia: $5.1 billion (1.4%)
- Türkiye: $4 billion (1.1%)
- Switzerland: $3.9 billion (1.1%)
- Norway: $3.6 billion (1%)
- Finland: $3.2 billion (0.9%)
- mainland China: $3.1 billion (0.9%)
- Latvia: $2.5 billion (0.7%)
- Mexico: $2.2 billion (0.6%)
Almost nine-tenths (88.6%) of Polish exports in 2022 were delivered to the above 25 trade partners.
The fastest-growing buyers of Poland’s exports from 2021 to 2022 were Ukraine (up 43.7%), Türkiye (up 38%), Slovakia (up 28.8%), Latvia (up 25.6%), Czech Republic (up 24.8%), then the United States of America (up 24.1%).
There was a pair of decliners namely importers in Russia (down -42.3% from 2021) and mainland China (down -6.1%).
Countries Causing Worst Trade Deficits for Poland
Poland incurred an overall -$20.6 billion trade deficit in 2022, expanding by 17.2% from the -$17.6 billion in red ink one year earlier for 2021.
As defined by Investopedia, a country whose total value of all imported goods is higher than its value of all exports is said to have a negative trade balance or deficit.
It would be unrealistic for any exporting nation to expect across-the-board positive trade balances with all its importing partners. Similarly, that export country doesn’t necessarily post a negative trade balance with each individual partner with which it exchanges exports and imports.
Poland incurred the highest trade deficits with the following countries.
- mainland China: -US$36.4 billion (country-specific trade deficit in 2021)
- Russia: -$11.1 billion
- Netherlands: -$7.4 billion
- South Korea: -$6.4 billion
- Belgium: -$5.2 billion
- Saudi Arabia: -$4.9 billion
- Qatar: -$2.1 billion
- Japan: -$1.9 billion
- Bangladesh: -$1.84 billion
- Vietnam: -$1.82 billion
Among Poland’s trading partners that cause the greatest negative trade balances, Polish deficits with Saudi Arabia (up 198.4%) and Qatar (up 116.7%) expanded from 2021 to 2022.
In addition, Poland transitioned from posting surpluses with the Netherlands and Belgium for 2021 to racking up the deficits listed above.
These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate Poland’s competitive disadvantages with the above countries, but also represent key opportunities for Poland to develop country-specific strategies to strengthen its overall position in international trade.
Countries Generating Best Trade Surpluses for Poland
Based on Investopedia’s definition of net importer, a country whose total value of all imported goods is lower than its value of all exports is said to have a positive trade balance or surplus.
Poland earned the highest trade surpluses at the expense of the following countries.
- United Kingdom: US$12.5 billion (country-specific trade surplus in 2022)
- Czech Republic: $9.5 billion
- France: $7.5 billion
- Romania: $4.3 billion
- Ukraine: $3.9 billion
- Germany: $3.28 billion
- Hungary: $3.23 billion
- Switzerland: $2.8 billion
- Slovakia: $2.4 billion
- Lithuania: $2 billion
Among Poland’s trading partners that generate the greatest positive trade balances, Polish surpluses with Switzerland (up 212.8%), Ukraine (up 92.9%) and Slovakia (up 40.5%) grew at the fastest pace from 2021 to 2022.
These positive cashflow streams clearly indicate Poland’s competitive advantages with the above countries, but also represent key opportunities for Poland to develop country-specific strategies to optimize its overall position in international trade.
Polish Export Companies Servicing Trading Partners
Seven corporations rank among Forbes Global 2000. Below is a sample of the major Polish companies that Forbes included.
- KGHM Polska Miedz (diversified metals, mining)
- Pgnig Group (oil, gas)
- PKN Orlen (oil, gas)
According to global trading platform Alibaba, the following companies are examples of export companies located in Poland. Shown within parenthesis is the product category that the Polish business specializes in.
- Ambra SA (sparking wines)
- BIP SP (diesel heaters)
- EWAX SC (undershirts, knitwear)
- GENATA SP (laundry detergent)
- POLSKA GRUPA MEBLOWA FURINI (furniture)
- PPHU BIURO-DRUK Fialkowska Aurelia (leather cases)
- STRAIGHTLINE TRADE LIMITED SP (water purification equipment)
- TOMASZ RONATOWICZ TOP SOCZEWKI (watches)
- Zbyszko Company SP (sparkling water)
See also Poland’s Top 10 Exports, Poland’s Top 10 Imports, 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 May 16, 2023
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on May 16, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 16, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 16, 2023
Wikipedia, List of Companies of Poland. Accessed on May 16, 2023
Wikipedia, Poland. Accessed on May 16, 2023
Zepol’s company summary highlights by country. Accessed on May 16, 2023
