Poland’s foreign trade began 2026 with moderate growth in both exports and imports, accompanied by a clear improvement in the goods trade balance. According to Statistics Poland data for January–March 2026, Polish goods exports amounted to PLN 394.1 billion, representing a 2.2 percent increase year on year. Imports reached PLN 395.2 billion, up 1.0 percent compared with the same period of the previous year.
As a result, the goods trade deficit amounted to only PLN 1.2 billion. This marks a clear improvement compared with the first quarter of 2025, when the negative balance stood at PLN 4.2 billion. The data show that in the first months of the year the Polish economy increased its foreign sales faster than its purchases from abroad.
Exports and Imports Up, but the Balance Nearly Even
In zloty terms, export growth was more than twice as fast as import growth. Exports increased by 2.2 percent year on year, while imports rose by 1.0 percent. Although the nominal value of imports was still slightly higher than that of exports, the difference between the two was small.
Expressed in euros, exports amounted to EUR 93.3 billion, while imports reached EUR 93.6 billion. The growth rates in the European currency were similar to those recorded in zloty terms: exports increased by 2.2 percent and imports by 0.9 percent.
Much stronger increases can be seen in dollar terms. Exports calculated in dollars amounted to USD 109.9 billion, up 15.1 percent year on year, while imports reached USD 110.3 billion, rising by 13.7 percent. Such a large difference between the growth rates expressed in dollars and those expressed in zlotys is mainly the result of exchange-rate effects, rather than an equally strong real increase in trade flows.
The European Union Remains the Main Destination for Polish Exports
Developed countries remain the most important markets for Polish exporters, accounting for 87.4 percent of total exports. Within this group, the European Union played the key role, receiving 75.2 percent of Polish exports. The EU’s share increased by 0.3 percentage points compared with the first quarter of 2025.
Imports from developed countries accounted for 66.0 percent of total imports, including imports from the European Union, which represented 53.3 percent of Poland’s foreign purchases. Poland recorded a very high surplus in trade with developed countries — PLN 83.4 billion. The result was even stronger in trade with the European Union alone, where the balance was positive at PLN 85.7 billion.
The opposite situation can be seen in relations with developing countries. Exports to this group of countries amounted to PLN 31.0 billion, while imports reached as much as PLN 129.0 billion. This means a deficit of PLN 98.0 billion. Such a deep imbalance is largely due to high imports from China.
Germany Still Poland’s Most Important Partner
Germany remains by far Poland’s most important trading partner. In the first quarter of 2026, exports to Germany amounted to PLN 105.0 billion, representing 26.6 percent of total Polish exports. Germany’s share was, however, 0.6 percentage points lower than a year earlier, which may indicate a gradual, although very slow, reduction in export concentration on a single market.
The next largest destinations for Polish goods were the Czech Republic, with exports of PLN 26.0 billion; France, with PLN 25.1 billion; the United Kingdom, with PLN 20.4 billion; the Netherlands, with PLN 18.6 billion; and Italy, with PLN 18.0 billion.
Ukraine was also among the top ten destinations. Exports to Ukraine rose by 13.3 percent year on year and amounted to PLN 14.8 billion. This was one of the most visible increases among Poland’s main trading partners. The data confirm that Ukraine remains an important and growing market for Polish companies, while Poland is strengthening its role as a logistics and trade base for the Ukrainian economy.
China and the United States Strong on the Import Side
On the import side, measured by country of origin, Germany was also Poland’s largest partner. Imports from Germany amounted to PLN 76.5 billion and increased by 1.9 percent year on year. China ranked second, with imports worth PLN 62.5 billion, representing 15.8 percent of total imports.
The United States was the third-largest source of imports. Imports from the US amounted to PLN 22.3 billion and rose by 10.2 percent year on year. At the same time, Polish exports to the US fell by 11.0 percent to PLN 11.9 billion. This is one of the more interesting signals in the Statistics Poland data, as it shows a deterioration in Poland’s trade balance with the United States.
The top ten countries of import origin also included Italy, the Netherlands, France, the Czech Republic, Spain, Denmark and Norway. Imports from Norway increased particularly strongly — by 37.7 percent year on year — which may be linked, among other factors, to energy commodities and changes in the structure of supplies.
Imports from Central and Eastern Europe Decline
Statistics Poland data also show a clear decline in imports from Central and Eastern European countries. Imports from this group amounted to PLN 5.2 billion and were about one-quarter lower than a year earlier. Import dynamics stood at 75.1 percent, meaning a year-on-year decline of 24.9 percent.
At the same time, exports to Central and Eastern European countries increased by 9.5 percent and reached PLN 18.7 billion. The trade balance with this group of countries was positive and amounted to PLN 13.5 billion. The decline in imports may be linked to ongoing sanctions, reduced economic relations with Russia and Belarus, and the continued redirection of supply chains.
Machinery, Equipment and Transport Dominate the Trade Structure
Machinery, equipment and transport equipment remain the largest category in Polish foreign trade. In the first quarter of 2026, they accounted for 37.2 percent of exports and 36.5 percent of imports. This shows that Poland’s trade is strongly linked to industry, the production of parts, components, vehicles, machinery and equipment used in European supply chains.
Various manufactured goods, manufactured goods classified chiefly by material, food and live animals, as well as chemicals and related products, also played an important role in exports. In imports, apart from machinery and equipment, chemicals, various manufactured goods, manufactured goods classified by material, food and mineral fuels had a significant share.
The strongest export growth was recorded in the category of commodities and transactions not classified elsewhere, where the increase amounted to 81.7 percent. Exports of manufactured goods classified chiefly by material, mineral fuels, beverages and tobacco, food, chemicals, and machinery and transport equipment also rose. Declines were recorded, among others, in crude materials excluding fuels, as well as oils, fats and waxes.
Three Key Conclusions from Statistics Poland’s Data
The first important conclusion concerns the improvement in the trade balance. Poland still recorded a small deficit in goods trade, but its scale was much smaller than a year earlier. With exports and imports both close to PLN 400 billion, a difference of PLN 1.2 billion means an almost balanced position.
The second conclusion concerns the importance of the European Union. Despite the growing role of Ukraine, the United States, China and other non-European markets, Poland’s foreign trade remains strongly rooted in the EU economy. The EU is both the main destination for Polish goods and the source of more than half of Poland’s imports.
The third conclusion concerns differences between trading partners. Poland maintains a high surplus in relations with developed countries and the European Union, but at the same time records a deep deficit with developing countries, mainly because of imports from China. This means that the geographical structure of trade remains one of the key factors affecting the overall goods trade balance.
Foreign Trade Remains a Stable Element of the Economy
The data for the first quarter of 2026 show that Polish foreign trade remains resilient despite a volatile international environment. Exports are growing faster than imports, the deficit is small, and Polish companies continue to maintain a strong position in the EU market.
At the same time, several areas require close observation. These include the decline in exports to the United States, the large deficit in trade with developing countries, high import dependence on China and the impact of exchange rates on the value of trade measured in dollars.
The first quarter of 2026 can therefore be regarded as a moderately positive period for Polish foreign trade. It was not a time of spectacular growth, but the data point to an improved balance, stability in the main export destinations and Poland’s continued strong position in European supply chains.
