Poland’s export champions

This article is a part of Poland Unpacked. Weekly intelligence for decision-makers

The Polish economy is sometimes described as “Europe’s assembly plant”: plenty of goods, but few specializations. Yet the data show that Poland has a growing number of them. In 2024, it was the world’s leading exporter in 36 product categories, up from 21 a decade earlier.

Polish exports are among the most diversified in the world. Of the roughly 5,000 categories of goods traded internationally, Poland sells products abroad in almost 4,900. No single product, or even product group, dominates its exports.

That does not mean Poland lacks specializations. On the contrary, there are dozens of products for which it is the world’s largest exporter.

There were 36 such products in 2024. Measured by Poland’s share of global exports, diesel trains - including railbuses and diesel multiple units - and smoked salmon top the list. In both cases, Poland accounts for 44% of world exports. Its share also exceeds 40% for low-density fiberboard and is close to 40% for PVC windows and doors, as well as rye.

The list also includes food products such as herring, offal, beef and mushrooms. Poland is a leading exporter of household goods, including sofas, sofa beds and clothes dryers.

How did we calculate this? We used Harvard Growth Lab data based on UN Comtrade statistics, in which exporters’ declarations are reconciled with those of importers. Products are defined at the most detailed level of the Harmonized System (HS) classification: six-digit codes. Values are given in US dollars at current prices. The leader is the country with the highest export value for a given product.

Specializations with high export value

In value terms, cigarettes top the list at USD 4.1bn - almost one in every four dollars of global cigarette exports. They are followed by fresh poultry cuts and offal at USD 2.7bn, PVC windows and doors at USD 1.9bn, and hearing aids at USD 1.6bn. The 15 largest products on the list account for a combined USD 17.3bn in exports.

Could this be re-exporting - goods merely passing through Poland? In the vast majority of cases, no. Poland imports far less of these products than it exports. For cigarettes, windows, poultry and smoked salmon, imports amount to just 1–2% of the value of exports.

The list of products in which Poland ranks second or third is also revealing. It includes goods with much higher export values than those in which Poland leads. The country is the world’s third-largest exporter of televisions at USD 4.5bn, the second-largest exporter of steel structures at USD 2.9bn, and the third-largest exporter of wooden furniture at USD 2.7bn. Poland also ranks in the top three for exports of washing machines, dishwashers, buses, electric multiple units, yachts and boats, as well as sweets: chocolate, biscuits and wafers.

Who stands between Poland and first place? Most often, China. Of the 145 products in which Poland ranks second or third, China leads in 86, Germany in 18 and the United States in seven. In some categories, the gold medal is within reach. Polish mattress exports, for example, were just USD 1m below China’s in 2024. In dishwashers, coke and small gas turbines, Poland’s export value was more than 90% of the leader’s.

We're gaining new leaders

The number of Polish “gold medals” is growing. In 2015, Poland was the leading exporter in 21 products; in the record year of 2023, that figure reached 42. In 2024, it stood at 36 - still more than 70% higher than a decade earlier.

Some products are perennial leaders. Poland has held the number-one position in PVC and wooden windows, pallets, mushrooms, smoked salmon and clothes dryers continuously since at least 2015. It claimed other top spots more recently: hearing aids in 2017, poultry in 2018, margarine and razors in 2022, and cigarettes only in 2024.

There are also categories in which Poland has lost its leading position. It was the world’s largest exporter of rigid plastic pipes until 2020; today, it ranks fourth.

Export specializations are more than niche curiosities. Products in which Poland is the global leader account for just 0.7% of all product categories, but 6% of the value of Polish exports. Add the products in which it ranks second or third, and the total comes to 181 categories and almost 20% of exports. In other words, one in every five dollars Poland earns from selling goods abroad comes from products in which it ranks among the world’s top three.

Poland’s hidden champions?

German economist Hermann Simon coined the term “hidden champions” to describe little-known companies that dominate narrow niches in global markets. He argued that these businesses are an important, though often underestimated, driving force in the economy.

Poland’s list of export leaders partly fits that description. Railbuses are the domain of Pesa and Newag, PVC windows are produced by companies including Drutex and Oknoplast, and smoked salmon comes in part from processing plants in Pomerania.

There is, however, an important qualification. Many of Poland’s first-place rankings are owed to factories owned by foreign corporations. Global tobacco giants produce cigarettes in Poland, razor blades are made at Gillette’s factory in Łódź - the company’s largest in the world - and clothes dryers are manufactured at plants run by major appliance makers. For these companies, Poland serves as a production base for the whole of Europe.

A clear pattern also emerges: many of these products are heavy, bulky or perishable. Windows, pallets, sofa beds, fresh beef, poultry and mushrooms are difficult to transport halfway around the world. Poland’s advantage is a combination of competitive costs and proximity to its largest market, the European Union. The country also ranks among the top three in goods that are easier to transport, such as furniture, televisions and steel structures, but China usually takes first place in those categories.

Poland was the world’s largest exporter in 36 product categories in 2024. These represent 0.7% of all categories of goods but 6% of the value of Polish exports. Poland competes with global giants in railbuses, smoked salmon, windows, furniture and poultry.
The number of Polish export “gold medals” rose from 21 in 2015 to 36 in 2024, with a record 42 products in 2023. Poland has held some positions throughout the decade, while gaining others - including hearing aids, cigarettes and margarine - more recently.
Including second- and third-place rankings, Poland stands on the global podium in 181 products that account for almost 20% of its exports. China is the country most likely to rank ahead of Poland. Much of Poland’s advantage comes from its costs and proximity to the EU market, while many of its first-place positions are owed to factories owned by foreign corporations.