Poland’s foreign trade deficit in goods reached PLN 12.5 billion in the first five months of 2026, even though exports and imports grew at a similar pace. The negative balance was generated almost entirely by trade with developing economies. Poland continued to record a substantial surplus with developed countries, including the European Union.
According to Statistics Poland, Polish exports of goods amounted to PLN 667.5 billion between January and May 2026, an increase of 3.5% year on year. Imports rose by 3.4% to PLN 679.9 billion.
Expressed in US dollars, growth rates were considerably higher due to the appreciation of the Polish złoty against the dollar. Exports increased by 12.9% to USD 184.8 billion, while imports rose by 12.7% to USD 188.3 billion. The resulting deficit amounted to USD 3.4 billion.
In euro terms, exports reached EUR 157.6 billion, up 3.4% year on year, while imports increased by 3.3% to EUR 160.6 billion. The trade deficit stood at EUR 2.9 billion.
Deficit Driven by Developing Economies, Not Europe
Developed economies accounted for 87.3% of Poland’s exports, including a 75.0% share for EU member states. They were also responsible for 66.1% of imports, including 53.2% from the European Union.
A year earlier, developed countries represented 87.5% of exports and 65.0% of imports, while the EU accounted for 75.2% and 53.2%, respectively.
Poland generated a trade surplus of PLN 133.0 billion with developed countries. Its surplus with the European Union alone amounted to PLN 138.7 billion, while trade with the euro area produced a positive balance of PLN 107.4 billion.
The situation was entirely different in trade with developing economies, where Poland recorded a deficit of as much as PLN 168.5 billion.
A positive balance was also reported in trade with Central and Eastern European countries, defined in the Statistics Poland data as Albania, Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine. The surplus amounted to PLN 23.0 billion, although the region’s share of Poland’s total trade remained relatively small, accounting for 4.8% of exports and 1.3% of imports.
Germany Remains the Leading Partner, but Its Share Is Declining
Germany remains Poland’s largest trading partner by a wide margin, although its share of Polish trade continues to decline gradually.
Germany’s share of Polish exports fell by 0.8 percentage points to 26.5%, while its share of imports decreased by 0.3 percentage points to 19.0%.
Poland’s trade surplus with Germany amounted to PLN 47.4 billion, slightly below the PLN 48.6 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.
Among Poland’s main trading partners, the United States was the only country to record a decline in Polish exports, which fell by 3.6% year on year. France was the only major partner from which imports decreased, falling by 0.5%.
Poland’s ten largest trading partners accounted for 66.1% of total exports and 62.4% of total imports.
Outside the group of leading partners, notable developments included the continued growth of imports from China. Polish imports from the country increased by 8.4% year on year to PLN 105.8 billion, making China Poland’s second-largest source of imported goods.
Imports from Norway increased by 29.9%, mainly due to purchases of energy commodities, while imports from Denmark rose by 20.7%.
Poland continued to record a deficit in trade with Brazil, its largest trading partner in the Mercosur group. The negative balance amounted to PLN 4.2 billion, as Polish exports to Brazil fell by 11.1% and imports increased by 13.4%.
Machinery Dominates Both Exports and Imports
According to the Standard International Trade Classification, machinery, equipment and transport equipment remained the largest category in both exports and imports.
The category accounted for 37.3% of Polish exports and 37.1% of imports during the first five months of 2026.
The fastest-growing export category was commodities and transactions not classified elsewhere in the SITC, which increased by 36.9% year on year. Exports of mineral fuels and lubricants rose by 15.5%.
The only export category to record a decline was animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes, which fell by 7.9%.
On the import side, commodities and transactions not classified elsewhere increased by 22.7%, while imports of mineral fuels and lubricants rose by 10.3%.
Declines were recorded in miscellaneous manufactured articles, down 7.4%; beverages and tobacco, down 5.1%; and food and live animals, down 1.3%.
Commodity structure of Polish exports and imports by SITC section, January–May 2026. Source: Statistics Poland.
| Country group | Exports (PLN billion) | Imports (PLN billion) | Balance (PLN billion) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Developed countries | 582.6 | 449.6 | +133.0 |
| — including the European Union | 500.7 | 362.0 | +138.7 |
| — including the euro area | 395.6 | 288.1 | +107.4 |
| Developing economies | 52.9 | 221.4 | -168.5 |
| Central and Eastern Europe | 31.9 | 8.9 | +23.0 |
| TOTAL | 667.5 | 679.9 | -12.5 |
The structure of Poland’s foreign trade remains divided into two contrasting parts. A substantial and growing surplus generated through trade with the European Union and other developed economies is being entirely absorbed by the widening deficit with developing countries.
In practice, a significant part of this imbalance is associated with trade with China, which remains Poland’s second-largest source of imported goods.
Source: Statistics Poland. Original analysis based on data published by Statistics Poland.
