Exports to Poland generate over 5 billion euros

Trade with Poland has increased significantly since 2004, the year in which this country joined the European Union. In 2019, Poland occupied a share of 2.6 percent in total Dutch exports, up from 1.3 percent (3.2 billion euros) in 2004. Machinery and transport equipment accounted for 40 percent (5.4 billion euros) of the goods exports, manufactured goods for 22 percent (1.3 billion euros). The 4-percent increase in goods exports over the first three quarters of 2020 was due to strong growth in re-exports of electrical appliances.

Goods imports rose to 9 billion euros

Between 2004 and 2019, goods imports from Poland rose from 2 to 9 billion euros. Poland accounted for 2.0 percent of total goods imports (nearly 460 billion euros) last year. Over 33 percent of the imports consisted of machinery and transport equipment (3 billion euros) and 32 percent consisted of manufactured goods (2.9 billion euros).

Service trade rose sharply as well

Trade in services with Poland has also increased sharply over the past five years, with imports exceeding exports. Import of services rose from 1.5 billion euros in 2014 to 4 billion euros in 2019. Service exports saw a sharp increase as well, from 1.8 to 3.3 billion euros over the same period. In 2019, service imports were dominated by transport services (47 percent); the Netherlands imported over 1.4 billion euros in freight transport services for example. Service exports featured both travel services and transport services, with respective contributions of 31 percent (1.0 billion euros) and 24 percent (0.8 billion euros).

Exports to Poland account for 0.7 percent of GDP

In 2019, the Netherlands earned a net amount of around 5.3 billion euros from the export of goods and services to Poland (after deduction of the costs of imported goods and services serving as inputs for these exports). This constituted nearly 0.7 percent of the Netherlands’ GDP. Wholesale and commission trade in particular benefited from these exports. In 2015, earnings from exports to Poland amounted to 4.2 billion euros. The upward trend in export earnings is also visible in trade with other countries of the Visegrád Group: Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. In 2019, the Netherlands earned a total exceeding 10 billion euros from exports to these four countries.