Food exports in the first quarter of 2019 was higher by 15.2% compared with the previous year, and its growth was higher by a total of 8.5 percentage points than the increase in total exports of commodities.
After the previous year’s drop (by 6.6%), there was a significant increase (by 33.5%) in the category of cocoa and cocoa preparations, where the main recipients included Germany (EUR 81.3 million, i.e. an increase by 28.3% in comparison with the previous year), the United Kingdom (EUR 68.2 million, i.e. growth by 9.6%) and the Netherlands (EUR 39.3 million, i.e. an increase by 79.5%).
The largest purchasers of industrial tobacco and tobacco substitutes, the total sales of which increased by 21.3%, included Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and Italy.
The leader in purchases of beverages, spirits and vinegar, with total exports having increased by 11.3%, was France (EUR 31.3, i.e. an increase by 10.4%).
Growth in sales was recorded for the categories: preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants – by 8.7%, and preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; pastrycooks’ products – by 8.0%. Germany was the largest importer of goods covered by these categories, with purchases worth EUR 77.2 million and EUR 124.7 million respectively, whereas these values were lower than the year before (by 19.9% and 2.7% respectively).
Higher exports than the year before were recorded for preparations of meat, of fish or crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates (by 7.2%); in this category, sales to the UK amounted to EUR 127.5 million (an increase by 11.0%), while for Germany, the value was EUR 101.2 million (an increase by 2.2%).
A rise in exports of sugars and sugar confectionery reached 2.1%. The highest sales were recorded for Germany and Romania (EUR 37.5 million euro and EUR 16.8 million respectively).
Among items of most importance in food exports, the highest increase was recorded in sales of such goods as chocolate and other food preparations containing cocoa (EUR 419.2 million, i.e. an increase by 35.5%) as well as sugar confectionery (including white chocolate), not containing cocoa (EUR 99.7 million, i.e. an increase by 30.7%). Exports of fruit juices amounted to EUR 150.5 million (i.e. an increase by 15.2%); of sauces and preparations thereof – EUR 93.5 million (i.e. an increase by 13.2%), of waters, including mineral waters and aerated waters – EUR 106.5 million (i.e. an increase by 11.3%), of bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits and other bakers’ wares – EUR 404.2 million (i.e. an increase by 7.6%).
A decline in exports was observed for such items as cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose, in solid form (by 26.7%, i.e. to EUR 60.9 million), vegetables prepared or preserved other than with vinegar or acetic acid, not frozen (by 4.4%, i.e. to EUR 51.6 million).
Trade with the top ten trade partners of Poland on the part of food exports accounted for 67.2% (compared to 65.8% in the 1st quarter of 2018). The share of Germany dropped by 1.7 pp. compared with the previous year; a lower share was also recorded for the Czech Republic (by 0.3 pp.) and Belgium (by 0.2 pp.). On the other hand, a considerable increase of the share in the structure of Polish exports was recorded by the UK – 1.7 pp., the shares of the Netherlands and France (0.7 pp. each) as well as Italy (0.5 pp.) were also higher than the year before.
Paweł Witkowski,
Senior Specialist
Department of Trade and Services Statistics Poland
[1] Foodstuffs included products comprising Section IV of the Combined Nomenclature (CN), i.e. prepared foodstuffs; beverages, spirits and vinegar; tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes.
After the previous year’s drop (by 6.6%), there was a significant increase (by 33.5%) in the category of cocoa and cocoa preparations, where the main recipients included Germany (EUR 81.3 million, i.e. an increase by 28.3% in comparison with the previous year), the United Kingdom (EUR 68.2 million, i.e. growth by 9.6%) and the Netherlands (EUR 39.3 million, i.e. an increase by 79.5%).
The largest purchasers of industrial tobacco and tobacco substitutes, the total sales of which increased by 21.3%, included Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and Italy.
The leader in purchases of beverages, spirits and vinegar, with total exports having increased by 11.3%, was France (EUR 31.3, i.e. an increase by 10.4%).
Growth in sales was recorded for the categories: preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants – by 8.7%, and preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; pastrycooks’ products – by 8.0%. Germany was the largest importer of goods covered by these categories, with purchases worth EUR 77.2 million and EUR 124.7 million respectively, whereas these values were lower than the year before (by 19.9% and 2.7% respectively).
Higher exports than the year before were recorded for preparations of meat, of fish or crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates (by 7.2%); in this category, sales to the UK amounted to EUR 127.5 million (an increase by 11.0%), while for Germany, the value was EUR 101.2 million (an increase by 2.2%).
A rise in exports of sugars and sugar confectionery reached 2.1%. The highest sales were recorded for Germany and Romania (EUR 37.5 million euro and EUR 16.8 million respectively).
Among items of most importance in food exports, the highest increase was recorded in sales of such goods as chocolate and other food preparations containing cocoa (EUR 419.2 million, i.e. an increase by 35.5%) as well as sugar confectionery (including white chocolate), not containing cocoa (EUR 99.7 million, i.e. an increase by 30.7%). Exports of fruit juices amounted to EUR 150.5 million (i.e. an increase by 15.2%); of sauces and preparations thereof – EUR 93.5 million (i.e. an increase by 13.2%), of waters, including mineral waters and aerated waters – EUR 106.5 million (i.e. an increase by 11.3%), of bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits and other bakers’ wares – EUR 404.2 million (i.e. an increase by 7.6%).
A decline in exports was observed for such items as cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose, in solid form (by 26.7%, i.e. to EUR 60.9 million), vegetables prepared or preserved other than with vinegar or acetic acid, not frozen (by 4.4%, i.e. to EUR 51.6 million).
Trade with the top ten trade partners of Poland on the part of food exports accounted for 67.2% (compared to 65.8% in the 1st quarter of 2018). The share of Germany dropped by 1.7 pp. compared with the previous year; a lower share was also recorded for the Czech Republic (by 0.3 pp.) and Belgium (by 0.2 pp.). On the other hand, a considerable increase of the share in the structure of Polish exports was recorded by the UK – 1.7 pp., the shares of the Netherlands and France (0.7 pp. each) as well as Italy (0.5 pp.) were also higher than the year before.
Paweł Witkowski,
Senior Specialist
Department of Trade and Services Statistics Poland
[1] Foodstuffs included products comprising Section IV of the Combined Nomenclature (CN), i.e. prepared foodstuffs; beverages, spirits and vinegar; tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes.
