Foreign Trade in Poland and Malopolska Region
Does Malopolska use its export potential? Do public institutions efficiently support exporters? What kind of support do exporters themselves expect?
These questions are answered in a report prepared by Ageron Polska for the Malopolska Economic Observatory in 2011.
Report is a continuation of research into foreign trade carried out by Malopolska Economic Observatory, functioning within the Marshall Office of the Małopolska Region since 2008. Report presents selected aspects of foreign trade of Malopolska in comparison to other Polish voivodeships, it also includes in-depth analysis of foreign exchange in Malopolska. For the sake of the project national research among exporters was carried out, its results were used to formulate recommendations for the tools supporting export on the regional level.
Research indicated that Malopolska does not use fully its export potential. Its position weakened in the recent years and now region’s export constitutes 4.8% of the national export. Between 2005 and 2008 export from Malopolska was developing at the level of 17% annually. Similarly as it was for the whole country, in 2009 there was a breakdown – in case of Malopolska it was much deeper though. In spite of growth noted again in 2010 rebuilding export power of the region failed. In 2010 volume of Malopolska’s export reached EUR 5.7 billion – it was lower than the value from 2008 by one tenth. Only Swietokrzyskie voivodeship handled rebuilding export stream after breakdown in 2009 worse.
According to research, exporters from Malopolska look into the future with optimism. Half of entrepreneurs participating into research declare export growth in their companies in the following year. Among threats to developing export activities they indicate above all external factors – currency fluctuations and higher prices of resources and materials. Entrepreneurs expect support and consulting in the area of setting up foreign trade contacts.
Final report: http://www.malopolskie.pl/Pliki/2012/Raport_Handel_zagraniczny_w_Polsce_i_Malopolsce_2010.pdf
Report’s summary: http://gospodarka.obserwatoria.malopolska.pl/Files.mvc/497/Handel_zagraniczny_w_Ma%C5%82opolsce_2010.pdf
