Polish food exports in 2024

According to a report by Bank Pekao, exports of Polish agri-food products in 2024, reached a record EUR 53.5 billion, which means an increase of 3% y/y.  This happened despite the strong zloty and the decline in global food prices. Imports grew faster (+7% y/y), which translated into the first decrease in the positive balance of food turnover since 2016 (-4% y/y).

In terms of currency, the dynamics of exports was higher – +2.7% in EUR and +3% in USD – while in PLN there was a decrease of 2.9%, which reflects about 5% strengthening of the PLN against both currencies.

What drove and what hindered exports (in terms of products)

The structure of export growth has shifted towards highly processed goods. The largest positive contributions year-on-year were made by:

• Chocholate products: +EUR488 million (+19%)
• Poultry meat: +EUR 349 million (+9%),
• Animal feed stuffs: +EUR 256 million (+9%),
• Beef: +EUR237 million (+11%)
• Milk products: +EUR 219 million (+7%),
• Meat products: +EUR215 million (+9%.).

On the other hand, cereals (EUR -1,274 million, -36%), oilseeds (EUR -262 million, -29%) and oils and fats (EUR -120 million, -8%)  slowed down.

In total, exports of highly processed products increased by EUR 1.86 billion (+7%), and raw materials and low-processed products decreased by EUR 433 million (-2%)tag.

The geography of Polish exports

EU markets plus the UK, were responsible for almost 80 percent of the increase in Polish exports.

The largest nominal increases (in EUR million) were recorded in the following destinations: France (+207), Germany (+199), United Kingdom (+166), Czech Republic (+155), Hungary (+148), Switzerland (+134), Belgium (+127), Turkey (+102), Slovakia (+80). Declines (in EUR million) were recorded in sales to  the Netherlands (-229), Nigeria (-180), Saudi Arabia (-163), South Africa (-155), the USA (-83), Ukraine (-77). Balance: EU +EUR 1.109 billion (+3%), with a net worth of +EUR 315 million (+2%).

Our position among EU exporters

Nominally, Poland was 5th in the EU in terms of food export growth (+EUR 1.424 billion), behind the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and Italy.

Food exports to the USA

The US share in Polish food exports was 1.5 per cent. in 2024 – the value of sales decreased by approx. 10 per cent y/y after dynamic growth in 2021-2023.

The structure of the product mix was dominated by: chocolate products (EUR 119 million), fish and seafood (EUR 84 million), bakery products (EUR 68 million),processed fruit and vegetable  (EUR 65 million), processed fish products (EUR 46 million),processed meat  (EUR 43 million), pork (EUR 34 million), feed stuffs(EUR 27 million), confectionery (EUR 25 million), spirits (EUR 24 million).

At the EU level, food exports to the US reached over EUR 30 billion in 2024 (+11%y/y), i.e. about 13% of all EU food export. The main export products were: beverages (33 per cent mainly alcohol), oils and fats(9 per cent), cereal products (8 per cent), fruit and vegetables products (7 per cent) and dairy products (7 per cent).

The simulation used by Bank Pekao indicated that even with the tightening of  US customs policy (a decrease in Polish exports to the US by 20 per cent, and from the EU to the US by 25 per cent), the total impact on the revenues of the Polish food industry would decrease by -0.3 per cent. The most sensitive products would be, among others, fish and processed fish products, strong alcohol, confectionery.

Mercosur – impact on Polish competitiveness

In 2024,  the EU imported EUR 24.1 billion worth of food from Mercosur  and exported EUR 3.3 billion worth of agri-food goods. The trade balance in this segment of the EU was negative and amounted  to about EUR 21 billion.

The structure of imports from Mercosur is dominated by feed and feed components (29%) and coffee/tea/spices (21 per cent).

Poland has an above average share in the EU’s imports from Mercosur, amounting  to 6.8 per cent. (5th place in the EU; in total imports from outside the EU, our share is 3.9 per cent). On the other hand,  Poland’s share in the EU’s exports to Mercosur is low (2.2 per cent). compared to 6.0 per cent. share of Polish exports in the EU outside the Union as a whole. This increases our sensitivity to the liberalisation of trade with this region.

Poultry, beef and sugar are particularly sensitive, because they are significant in Poland’s export to the EU  – in Poland, the total share of these three groups is 14 per cent. (for comparison, other EU countries have about 6 percent each). A possible higher import from Mercosur could therefore hit our sales more strongly than other large EU exporters.

Source: Bank Pekao report S.A., „Geopolityka na talerzu. Przemysł spożywczy w nowych realiach gospodarczych”, June 2025

ed. JL