Poland is not a member of the G20, but it is taking part as a guest in the forum’s work during the U.S. presidency, with the leaders’ summit scheduled for mid-December in Miami. The G20 brings together the world’s largest advanced and emerging economies, accounting for around 85 percent of global GDP and about two-thirds of the world’s population. For Polish business, this could be more than a symbolic promotion. It may become a real opportunity to move beyond an export model still focused overwhelmingly on Europe.
“Our exports are currently directed mainly to European Union markets. Nearly 80 percent of their total value goes there. Presence in broader, global organisations such as the G20 is above all an opportunity to reach further, into Global South markets and non-European destinations where Poland is still weakly represented,” Michał Czarnik, an expert at the Sobieski Institute and vice-president of the TAKdlaCPK association, said. “We need to use this opportunity not only to attend meetings, but also to build bilateral relations with the largest non-European G20 countries, which could help Polish companies expand exports there as well.”
“G20 is an elite club, and it is very good that we are there, but this should be treated as an opportunity, not the final destination. What matters is the agenda and the concrete ideas we bring with us. For Polish firms, this is an opening toward markets where Polish business is still far too weakly present,” adds Krzysztof Mazur, president of the Council of Global Polish Entrepreneurs.
Such diversification is becoming increasingly urgent. According to Statistics Poland, 75.6 percent of Polish exports in January 2026 went to European Union countries, while the United States accounted for just 2.8 percent of exports. That underlines how strongly Polish companies still depend on economic conditions within the single market, and how much room remains for growth in non-European destinations.
A report by the Sobieski Institute, Poland in the G20 Is Only the Beginning: A New Development Impulse, argues that the G20 remains the only global governance forum where the United States, China, India, the European Union and key representatives of the Global South all sit at the same table. Its authors stress that Poland’s presence in this format will make sense only if it becomes the beginning of a new economic and diplomatic strategy, rather than a symbolic gesture.
“We are very Eurocentric, which is why every opportunity to enter markets such as Argentina, Japan or South Africa is a major chance for Polish business,” says Krzysztof Mazur.
“It seems that the greatest opportunities are where countries are developing most rapidly, especially in South America and South Asia,” says Michał Czarnik, co-author of the report. “These areas are still relatively weakly explored by Polish entrepreneurs, yet because of their dynamic growth they offer real opportunities for our exports. Poland also has an advantage that many large Western European countries do not have: we do not carry a colonial legacy or historical burdens that still matter to parts of the Global South.”
The head of the Council of Global Polish Entrepreneurs notes that in recent years Polish firms have become increasingly interested in the United States, the Gulf states, Africa and Southeast Asia. Destinations such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Korea and Vietnam are being analysed more often by Polish companies, but making effective use of them will require state support, from economic diplomacy to institutional and logistical presence. A similar conclusion is drawn in the Sobieski Institute report, which highlights the need to rebuild Poland’s activity in the Global South and to align trade missions with the G20 calendar.
The authors of the report emphasise that in many countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia, G20 status and visible political backing open doors that often remain closed to states perceived merely as medium-sized EU economies. In their view, Poland should use this political capital as a tool for economic expansion. The report also argues that expansion into non-European markets cannot rely on promotion alone. It requires financial instruments, diplomatic support and a lasting institutional presence.
“We need to build a whole apparatus of institutions and ideas around the G20 in order to function there effectively. It cannot be the case that Polish diplomatic missions are unable to provide real support for an entrepreneur entering a given market. We should be present in these countries in a full way, also as part of economic diplomacy, not just in a fragmentary form and without economic functions,” Czarnik stresses.
One of the clearest examples of a direction that could benefit from a more active Polish approach is Japan. According to the Ministry of Development and Technology, Poland’s presence at Expo 2025 in Osaka was intended to promote the economy, investment, innovative solutions and Polish firms on the Japanese market and more broadly across Asia. The Polish Pavilion attracted more than 1.3 million visitors, while the economic programme included, among other events, a Polish-Japanese Export Forum with more than 300 participants and a Polish-Japanese Investment Forum with 460 participants.
“Poland’s presence in the G20 is also a chance to attract capital from different directions, and Japan is an important partner here, still insufficiently present in our business relations,” argues Krzysztof Mazur. “If Tokyo is looking for its gateway to Europe, we should be able to convince it that this does not have to mean only Hamburg or Rotterdam, but could also mean the Tricity area. That could translate into gains from logistics, customs revenues and the building of joint value chains together with Japanese firms.”
According to Sobieski Institute experts, Poland has export potential in sectors that are particularly sought after in developing countries. These include transport and construction infrastructure, energy and grid modernisation, digital technologies and cybersecurity, the agri-food industry, engineering services and industrial components.
The report recommends launching a Poland Global South Initiative by 2026, coordinated by the foreign ministry and the Ministry of Development and Technology, to ensure Poland’s systematic presence in Africa, Latin America and South Asia. The proposed programme would include rebuilding diplomatic and economic networks in priority regions, linking trade missions to G20 summits, offering export and investment finance tools, and identifying infrastructure projects in which Polish firms could take part.
What is at stake, then, is not only higher exports, but also a shift in Poland’s position within the global division of labour. Experts stress that if participation in the G20 is to deliver a lasting effect, it must translate into a long-term strategy: stronger diplomatic presence, active support for companies, better financing instruments for international expansion, and consistent relationship-building with the countries that are set to drive growth outside Europe.
One example of the kind of initiatives recommended by experts is increasing Polish investment in African raw-material markets, especially in critical and strategic metals that are essential for the functioning of the modern economy.
At the same time, entrepreneurs underline that seeking markets outside Europe should not mean abandoning the foundations of Poland’s current export strength. According to recent analyses, Poland is among the largest exporters within the European Union, with strong positions in categories such as lithium-ion batteries, vehicles for transporting goods, cigarettes and digital data-processing machines.
