Market Briefing :Poland

ECONOMIC SITUATION:

The Republic of Poland is located in central Europe, bordered by the Baltic Sea to the north, Germany to the west, the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south with Russia, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine to the east. The official language is Polish. The country is divided into 16 states with Warsaw as the capital. Poland is considered as one of the medium-developed countries in the world. During the economic reform in 1989, a capitalist economy was introduced with the policies of the freeing of prices, establishing privately-owned banks, a securities and stock exchange market and the free exchange of currencies. The economy started to improve in 1992 and Poland became the country with the most rapid economic growth in middle and eastern Europe.

Wawel Royal Castle	Warsaw, mermaid Symbol of the Polish capital	Poznan Town Market

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES:

Retail industry
As international retail chain enterprises gained access to the Polish market in 1990s, there was vigorous competition in the local retail market. The market economy was originally dominated by department stores which has now been taken over by new retail outlets such as supermarkets, high-end department stores and discount stores. After the process of reconstruction, merger and acquisitions over the past ten years, Poland’s retail market has gradually matured with rising sales volumes and a rapid increase in the floor area of retail shops. Increasing numbers of new retail outlets were constructed and the retail industry is now extremely modern. However, in comparison with Germany, the United Kingdom and other Western European countries, the retail industry in Poland still encounters problems such as a relatively low concentration of industry, few new outlets while the local industries lack competitiveness. According to analysts’ forecast, the Polish retail industry will continue to develop with increasing number of large-scale operations and new retail outlets.

Auto Parts Industry
The auto parts industry is a major component in the Polish Automobile Industry. At the end of September 2004, there were 2,283 enterprises (including enterprises founded by individuals) in the Polish automobile industry with 81% being manufacturer of auto parts. By mid 2006, the number of enterprises in the automobile industry has been reduced to 2,245, with 78.7% still engaging in auto part manufacture. The majority of auto part manufacturers have received ISO/TS 6949 accreditation. The auto parts manufactured in Poland are of high quality and a wide range of products are available, there are over 20 types of products including engines, transmissions, cooling systems, batteries, braking systems, pistons and fuel pumps. The industry is playing a leading role in the manufacturing of tyres, seats, automobile electronic products, wiring and braking systems that are widely used in well known brands. Polish auto parts are not only sold domestically, the majority of the products are exported. The modification and industrial transfer of the international automobile manufacturing industry due to the advantages of cost competitiveness and market orientation provides the Polish automobile industry with a desirable opportunity and room for further development. It is estimated that the next five to ten years will witness an even rapider development.

Aviation Industry
The Polish aviation industry started early in the 20th Century with the present capacity for manufacturing and maintenance of various aircraft. Currently, Poland is capable of manufacturing light aircrafts, agricultural, civil and training aircraft, as well as helicopters, gliders and the parts and accessories for various types of aircraft. Currently, there are 55 enterprises in the Polish aviation industry that employ around 16,000. A majority of the products are exported to major markets like Canada, Greece, Germany, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Korea, Spain, the United States, Venezuela and Vietnam.

MAJOR WEBSITE RECOMMENDATION:

THE MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS WEBSITE
http://www.mgip.gov.pl
The webste of the Ministry of Economic Affairs in the Republic of Poland will provide the latest information on commercial policies, especially those relating to taxation, enterprises, labour and foreign investment.

THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND GOVERNMENT WEBSITE
http://www.poland.gov.pl
The Republic of Poland Government Website is a formal website that publishes reliable information about the country policies, laws, and government decisions and the situation of social economic development in Poland.

CENTRAL STATISTICAL OFFICE OF POLAND WEBSITE
http://www.stat.gov.pl
As the primary statistical agency of the government,
the Central Statistical Office produces and provides quality statistical and civil registration
products and services.

Source: CIA- The World Fact Book-Poland
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pl.html

Main Exports – commodities: machinery & transport equipment, intermediate manufactured goods, miscellaneous manufactured goods, food and live animals

Main Imports – commodities: machinery and transport equipment, intermediate manufactured goods, chemicals, minerals, fuels, lubricants

Note 1 : Exports = Domestic Exports + Re-exports
Note 2 : From May 2000, data on Transit is only available up to the 4th digit of NCEM/HS

SOURCE:

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China
  http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/chn/
• The Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China
  http://www.mofcom.gov.cn/
• The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Poland
  http://www.chinaembassy.org.pl/chn/
• The Economic and Commercial Counsellor’s office of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Poland
  http://pl.mofcom.gov.cn/index.shtml
• Macao Statistics and Census Service
  http://www.dsec.gov.mo/c_index.html
• Macao Economic Services
  http://www.economia.gov.mo
• The Economist Intelligence Unit
  http://www.ipim.gov.mo/en/
• The Ministry of Economic Affairs Website
  http://www.mgip.gov.pl
• The Republic of Poland Government Website
  http://www.poland.gov.pl
• Central Statistical Office of Poland Website
  http://www.stat.gov.pl
• The World Factbook
  http://www.cia.gov
• World Economic Factbook 2006/2007