Poland

Distributing a product

Evolution of the sector

In a few years, distribution has become practically a private sector and the number of outlets has risen considerably. However, nowadays, this sector remains unstructured with a majority of small shops in rural areas where hypermarkets have not yet set up business. On the other hand, in large towns, the big foreign groups have moved in and out of 900 supermarkets, 432 are of foreign origin. We can mention:
- Real which belongs to the Metro AG group and has 27 stores,
- Hypernova (Ahold group) with 27 stores,
- Tesco with 37 stores,
- Auchan, Geant and Carrefour (respectively 19, 17 and 14 outlets).
Among the discount stores, we can recognize the names:
- Biedronka,
- Plus discount, etc.
Modern distribution (hypermarkets, supermarkets, discount) had a market share in the food trade of 35% in 2004. We can suppose that the trend will evolve in favour of discount stores and small shops in small towns in Poland.
It is estimated that, ten years from now, Poland will have an identical distribution system to that existing in western countries.

On the other hand, specialized distribution does not escape either from internationalization:
- in the DIY sector, we find Leroy Merlin, Castorama...
- for household appliances, Ikea, Conforama... are on the scene
- for sports items, we find Décathlon, Go sport, etc.

Market shares

Organizations in the retail sector

Polska Organizacja Handlu i Dystrybucji (Association of employers in big distribution companies)
Polska Rada Centrow Handlowych (Polish Council for Shopping Centers)

Market access procedures

International Conventions

Member of World Trade Organisation
Member of OECD
Party to the Kyoto protocol
Party to the Washington convention on International trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora
Party to the Basel convention on the Control of Transboudary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their disposal
Party to the Montreal protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer
Wassenaar arrangement on export controls for conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies
Party of the International coffee agreement 2001

International economic cooperation

Member of the European Union
Member of the European Economic Area which has guaranteed, since 1 January 1993, the free movement of most goods between European countries.
Multilateral agreements and bilateral agreements with many countries.

Non tariff barriers

As it joined the European Union on 1 May 2004, Poland applies the commercial policy of the EU, for example antidumping or anti-subsidy measures. The import regime of the European Union, especially in the sector of textile goods, is widespread in Poland. If the country integrated much of community legislation the day it joined the EU, a transition period was defined to adapt the rest of community benefits such as, for example, the free movement of salaried workers or coastal navigation services for some member States. In addition, Poland was given time until 2008 to bring up to standard its marketing authorizations for pharmaceutical products. Time was also given until 2005 to bring licenses for medical apparatus up to standard.
The EU has a liberal import regime where having to obtain import licenses is not usual. However, you should make sure that importing a particular product does not need an import license.
At the European level, agricultural products are protected within the framework of the common agricultural policy and textile goods coming from China, Belarus, North Korea, Montenegro, Kosovo and Uzbekistan are subject to particular formalities and to import licenses or control procedures (export document, inspection document).

Customs duties and taxes on imports

Transactions carried out inside the EEA are free of duty.
The European Union's Common Customs Tarif (CCT) applies to goods from outside Europe. In general, duty is relatively low, especially for industrial goods (4.2% on average).

Customs classification

The combined Nomenclature of the European Community (EC) integrates the HS nomenclature and has supplementary eight figure subdivisions and its own legal notes created for community purposes.

Import procedures

When goods from inside the community are introduced into Poland, the exporter is obliged to fill in, at the end of the month, a Declaration of Exchange of Goods or Intrastat Declaration.
The Customs declaration (SAD) is still in force for trade between Poland and third countries.

The case of samples

Importing samples is not taxed.

For further information

Customs Service
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Finance

Organizing goods transport

Main useful means

Poland's main ports are Gdansk and Szeczin-Swinoujscie. They have been considerably improved over the last few years with a view to European integration. In 2003, 51 052 000 tonnes of maritime freight transited via Poland.

Goods freight by road represented 74.4 billion tonnes-kms in 2001.

The Polish rail network is the third rail network in Europe for its infrastructures, the second for the volume of goods transported, and is the leading employer in Poland. International lines (Intercity) give excellent service but the regional lines remain poor. Modernization is essential as regards signals and rolling stock, for about 40% of goods traffic is carried out by rail (in 2003, 47 400 million tonnes-km of freight were carried by this means of transport).

Ports

Port of Gdansk
Port of Szczecin

Airports

Polish Airports

Sea transport organizations

Ministry of Infrastructure
Ministry of Maritime Economy

Air transport organizations

Ministry of Infrastructure
Civil aviation transport office

Road transport organizations

Ministry of Transport
General inspectorate for road transport
Institute for road transport

Rail transport organizations

Ministry of transport
Rail transport office