Poland Trade Manual

Poland
Trade Manual
Poland
By: Nathan Sudds
1 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Executive Summary
Poland is one of the strongest countries in the world and has one of the
strongest economies. Poland has access to the largest business partners
through strong trade agreements such as the European Union.
Poland has been voted in the top countries for most favorable investment,
proving that Poland is a great opportunity for foreign investment. Poland
has been seen as a great investment due to the people of Poland and its
competitive edge which encourage more foreign direct investments.
Poland is able to dismiss financial crisis as its economy has not suffered
severely from financial crisis such as the European debt crisis. Instead
Poland pulls ahead of the pack by having a high domestic demand, a
decreasing debt, and most importantly, the hard working, intelligent labour
force.
By the end of this trade manual, you should be able to know:

The background of Polands economy
The reasons why Poland is not being badly affected by financial crisis
whereas Polands neighbors are affected by big losses
Why Poland is such a favorable investment when it comes to foreign direct
investments and how the riskiness of doing business in Poland is low
Why people should invest in the manufacturing of Polands infrastructure
2 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Table of Contents
Part 1
History.......................................................................................5
Map of Poland.............................................................................6
Size of Poland.............................................................................7
Basic Information....................................................................7-10
Climate....................................................................................11
Typical Occupations...............................................................11-12
Government..............................................................................13
International Trade.....................................................................14
Polish Brands.............................................................................15
Education.............................................................................15-16
Literacy Rate.............................................................................17
Health Care...............................................................................18
Current News.......................................................................18-19
Part 2
Stage of Development................................................................21
Exchange rate...........................................................................21
Inflation...................................................................................22
Natural Resources.................................................................22-23
Polish Products.....................................................................24-25
Polands Advantage...............................................................25-26
Manufacturing and Innovation.....................................................27
Investment Opportunities.......................................................27-28
Investment Methods...................................................................28
Economic State.....................................................................29-30
3 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Part 3
Infrastructure.......................................................................32-33
Facilities...............................................................................33-35
Office Spaces........................................................................36-37
Recent Changes....................................................................37-38
Trade Disputes...........................................................................39
Trade Agreements.................................................................39-40
Polands Relationships............................................................41-42
Part 4
Culture Overview..................................................................44-46
Business Etiquette.....................................................................47
Activities and Traditions.........................................................48-49
Culture Difference......................................................................50
Geert Hofstede.....................................................................50-52
Part 5
5 Risk Assessments...............................................................54-55
Overall Risk..........................................................................55-57
Investing.............................................................................57-58
Appendix..........................................................................................59
Bibliography......................................................................................86
Endnotes..........................................................................................92
4 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Part 1
4 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
History
For more information visit page 59
Poland has accumulated a large and colourful background over

the years which has contributed to the powerful nation that it is
today.
Major Dates since 1900:
1918 - Poland becomes an independent nation, and became known as the
Republic of Poland 1
1939 - Germany and the USSR (The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)
invaded Poland and divided Poland between the two countries 2
1945 - A communist government took control of Poland and the current-day
boundaries of Poland were established3
1989 - Poland had its first free election, to decide the new government of
Poland. A non-communist party received much support.4 This was known as
The Solidarity Movement.
1990 - The communist government that previously controlled Poland was
discontinued, and the country now had a democratic government system5
1999 - Poland became a member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty
Organization)6
2004 - Poland joined EU (European Union) and Poland is the European
Unions sixth most colossal member7(The European Union has 27 members)8
5 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Map of Poland
Above is a map of Poland

Elevation: Rysy Peak 8,199ft (2,499m) above sea level
Lowest elevation point is sea level9
Polands Terrain: Poland mainly consists of flat plains and swaying hills.
Southern Poland consists mainly of rugged mountains.
Northern Poland is
beside the Baltic Sea.10 Warsaw is Polands capital and its largest city.11
6 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Size of Poland
Poland is a relatively large country. Canada is definitely larger than Poland,

although a large part of Canadas land mass is north where very few people
reside. Polands land mass has changed a lot because of the two World
Wars.
The Area of Poland is 120,728mi (312,685km)12
Compared to the Area of Canada, of 3,855,103mi (9,984,670km)13
Basic Information
Capital City: Warsaw 14

Language Spoken: Polish15
Religion: Poles (Polish People) adopted Christianity in 966 A.D. and they
share the same belief today.
There are a large amount of Roman Catholic
Churches in Poland today which shows they still have a strong belief in
Christianity.16
Ethnic Groups: Most of Polands citizens consists of Polish people.
The
largest minority groups in Poland are Ukrainians, Germans, and

Belorussians.17
Currency: Zoty (Z) - 1 Polish Zoty = 0.29603 Canadian Dollars.18 Poland
is the only country in the European Union that has not adopted the Euro.
7 | Page
Poland
Population: Polands
Trade Manual
Population of Poland
population has been

increasing at a
moderate rate since
1960. In 1960 the
population was
26,561,000. Then 50
years later, in 2010 the
population of Poland
had increased to
38,187,48819. The
fertility rate of Poland
was 2.98 births per
woman in 1960. After
year 1960 Polands
fertility rate decreased
due to the stabilization
of the economy and
government. In 2009
the fertility rate was
1.4 births per woman
and the fertility rate is
estimated to be
The graph above is the population of Poland

since the year 1960 to 2010.
Source: World Bank.
staying near the same

number for years to come.20
8 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Unemployment Rate: The unemployment history of Poland increased

drastically in 1998 (to a high of 20.3% of people unemployed in 2002) and
decreased rapidly in the following 10 years.21 The reason for this spike in
unemployment might be a result of the Russian financial crisis that occurred
in 1998.22 Recent statistics now show the unemployment rate of Poland
standing at 10.1% in January 2012.23
Polands Unemployment Rate
The above is the unemployment rate of Poland.

GDP: The GDP of Poland has been increasing since 1980. In 1980 Polands
GDP per capita was $4,207.651. By year end of 2010 the GDP per capita of
Poland was $18,981.11 per capita.24 (All converted into current day US
dollars.)
9 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Time: When it is noon (12p.m.) in Ottawa it is 5p.m. in Poland.25
Polands
time zone is Central European Time (GMT + 01:00).26

External Debt: The debt that is owed to non-residents of Poland, from
Polish residents, was 252.9 billion in 2011.27
improving is credit rating.
Poland is doing very well in
The Polish governments debt rating is A2, this
being the sixth highest investment rating. This debt rating is advancing with
a stable future, as said in the report.28
As you see above, the debt has slightly increased. Although the Polish
government is going to minimize Polands debt to 3% of Gross Domestic
Product, the debt was 5.1% of GDP in 2011.29
10 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Climate30
With Polands location in Europe, it shares the common snowstorms, during

winter, rain during hotter seasons, and other types of precipitation.
The
average yearly precipitation is near 24 inches, (61 centimeters). The climate

of Poland differs depending on the area of Poland you are looking at.
The
coast tends to remain cooler then the inland regions, and the mountainous
areas are usually cooler then the marshland areas. The average temperature
of Poland is -3C (26F) in January. In July the average temperature heats up
to 23C (73F) providing for a cooler winter and hotter summer.
Typical Occupations31
Poland has many occupations for people to become employed in.
The
following are just a few of them.
Industry: Poland has a large abundance of coal. In Southern Poland, there

is a rich coal deposit, and it is one of the largest coal deposits in the world.
Polands land also contains copper, sulfur, zinc, lead and silver.
The mining
and manufacturing industry provides numerous jobs for the people of

Poland. Poland is one of the leading countries in Europe for providing
resources such as coal, copper and silver.
Service Industry: In the industry where service is needed, Poland steps up
to the job. The service industry is huge in Poland, so huge that it accounts
for over half of Polands employment rate and contributes to two- thirds of
Polands GDP. The leader of providing jobs in the service industry, in Poland,
11 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
is Polands government.
Providing jobs such as healthcare and education,
many people find employment in the service industry through the

government.
Agriculture: Although this occupation in Poland does not contribute a large
portion to Polands economy is should still be recognized.
Poland is one of
the leading producers of potatoes and rye. Although agriculture is only 4%

of Polands economy.
GDP of Poland in 2007
4%
32%
64%
As you can see from the chart above, the service industry is the
largest, accounting for 64% of Polands GDP followed by industry
and agriculture.
Source: World Book Volume 15
12 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Government32
For more information visit page 74.
Poland has a stable, democratic government system. The National Assembly

is Polands parliament. The lower house has 460 members while the upper
house (or senate) has 100 members.
The members of both houses serve
four year terms until the next election.

Poland was divided into 16 regions, each region looked after by its own
official, as appointed by the Voivod. The Voivod is appointed by the Prime
Minister of Poland.
The Prime Minister is the head of the government, and
the President is head of the state. The duties that the President holds, is to
declare emergencies or reject legislation.
The above is the Polish Parliament building in Warsaw.
13 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
International Trade
Imports: Polish trade is dominated by its neighbors and allies in the

European Union.33
Around 60% of Polands imports are from the EU
(European Union) and 80% of its exports are to members of the EU.34
Germany is Polands most important trading partner as it neighbors Poland
and served as a quarter of Polish trade.35
The chief imports to Poland are
energy and capital goods which are mainly needed for industry services.36
Poland is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the EU
which provides Poland benefits such as no tariffs.37
Exports: Polands top exports are cars, coal, food products, iron, machinery,
ships and steel.38
Trade with Canada: Poland is Canadas largest trade partner both from
Central and Eastern Europe. In 2010, Canadian and Polish trade was
recorded at $1,162,000 Canadian. The exports of Polish goods and services
to Canada were valued at $992.5 million Canadian. The imports into Poland
from Canada was valued at $219.7 million Canadian. The main Polish
products exported to Canada were aerospace industry components, silver,
fur skins, machinery, wooden furniture, electric machinery, and agriculture.39
The chief Canadian exports to Poland were helicopters, airplanes, power,
equipment, aluminum, agriculture products and components for aerospace
industry.40
14 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Polish Brands
One successful Polish- originated
company is a company called PKN
ORLEN. This company is a large refiner
of crude- oil, one of the largest
companies in Central Europe to refine
oil.
They have 11 refineries in several
countries and have huge profits of
3.070 billion in 2010.41

Another company, that originates from
Poland is called Fabryka Samochodw
Osobowych (FSO).
FSO stands for
Factory for Passenger Automobiles. As

you can tell by the name, FSO manufactures automobiles worldwide.
Last
year the company had a net income of 4.3 billion, clearly a very successful
manufacturing company.42 One of their most recent cars is the Chevrolet
Aveo that was released in the European market in early 2011.43
To the left is a photo of the

Chevrolet Aveo.
15 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Education
The University of Warsaw (UW) is by far Polands most prestigious and well
known university. It is prided for 37 major fields that it focuses in, as well
as over 100 specialization's in the subjects of Humanities and Earth, Social
and Natural Sciences.
The UW was established in 1816 and has become
Polands largest university, employing over 6,200 people and over 3,200
professors this university has much to offer. Evidently, since UW is so well
known every year UW accepts over 53,000 applicants into its various
programs.
Education in Poland is very important. The more education one has, the
higher chance they have of getting a job.44
There are 12 universities in Poland.45 Polish law demands that children age
7- 15 must attend school. There are free, Government run schools and
private schools.
After children complete Elementary, they must complete
secondary school, and upon graduating, students must pass entrance exams
for a higher education.46 Polish people respect the tradition of education as
the first University was established in
1364. A very intelligent astronomer by
the name of Nicolaus Copernicus was
born in Poland and attended the
University of Krakow and introduced
the theory that the Earth revolves
around the Sun and that the sun does
not revolve around Earth.47
Many intelligent and famous
people have received education in
Above is a photo of the University of Warsaw.
Polands finest Universities.

16 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Literacy Rate
Since education is critical to finding a job in this country, the literacy rate in
Poland is quite high. The main reason for this high literacy rate is that
Polands education system is mandatory up to University.48 Polands literacy
rate exceeds most countries, especially less developed countries and
developing countries. The literacy rate of Poland is 99.8%.49
Environmental Issues
Polands environment has been improving in the past several years.
The
government has been spreading awareness of pollution in Poland, which is

helping their environment.
Although during the Second World War Poland
lost 4 million acres of forestland, which they are still trying to recover from.
In the mid 1990s, a large majority of Polands environment was destroyed
by airborne chemicals and acid rain.50
Pollution in the air has also been a major problem in Poland. Although efforts
to reduce the emissions seems to be working as emissions have dropped
40.5 metric tonnes in 10 years.51
Poland is also facing water and wildlife issues. For example the wild horse,
has become extinct.
Only 12.4% of Polands land is protected, which can
help some other species who are suffering.52
17 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Health Care
Poland has a great health care system, which is free as paid for by the
government. The life expectancy of males is 72.31 years and the life
expectancy of women is 80.43 years. There are 2.144 physicians for every
1000 people and 6.62 beds for every 1000 people in Poland. A drinking
water source is available to everyone in the country. Access to the sanitation
facility is also high with 90% of the population having access to sanitation of
water.53
Birth Rate: The estimated birth rate for 2012 is 9.96 births for every 1000
people.54
Death Rate: The estimated death rate for 2012 is 10.24 deaths for every
1000 people.55
Current News
Poland pushes for Saudi investment in key projects:56
Poland is choosing to contact Saudi Arabia and use their combined cooperation to expand their oil, military, nutrition, health, tourism and financial
services. This partnership between the two countries is important to
strengthening their relations (not that they did not have strong relations
before) and to promote business acts between the nations. Since Poland did
very well in overcoming the European financial crisis, they wanted to
diversify their economic relations by taking advantage of Saudi Arabias
economic boom. This encourages better business relations and both
economies will improve since more investments will take place.
18 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Poland Welcomes more Chinese Investment:57

Poland is welcoming more Chinese companies and investments into the
country. Just like many others, China is amazed at Polands ability to
progress during the economic crisis.
China has noticed that Polands GDP
grew 1.71 percent in 2012, which is the only EU (European Union) country
with a positive growth rate. They also realized that foreign direct investment
has grew 46 percent in 2011 (EU average was 17 percent) and that Poland
was the sixth most attractive country to invest in.
Even though Poland is
hinting for Chinese investment now, they do not expect investments to be

made in the short term, but instead in 3 to 4 years. This article shows why
Poland is such a great investment and why other countries are interested in
taking advantage of Polands strong economy.
Poland squeezes cash out of state firms:58

A high domestic demand in Poland has caused businesses in Poland to earn a
lot more than they had expected.
One of Polands largest companies, PGE
(Pacific Gas an Electric Company) had earned more than its target this year.
In fact, they made 40 percent more than they had expected. Even another
company, PZU (Powszechny Zakad Ubezpiecze) which is an insurance
company has been making more. Due to this, Poland is encouraging these
businesses to give out dividends to shareholders. Poland is doing this
because they are planning to reduce their countrys budget deficit to below 3
percent of gross domestic product.
In the end, Poland is hoping to raise 8
billion zlotys ($2.3 billion) from dividends. This shows that Poland is
responsibly helping its economy grow and stay out of debt, while making
businesses more successful than they had initially planned.
19 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Part 2
20 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Stage of Development
Poland is a thriving nation as its economy is doing very well. Poland moved
into a developed nation many years ago and is now experiencing good
economic growth. One reason that Poland is experiencing this growth is
because there is a young workforce, all becoming well educated. The literacy
rate of Poland is 99.8% and the infrastructure is very good as Poland has
many paved roads and airports.59 Although the unemployment rate is a bit
high at 10.1%60 making around 1.8 million without a job, many jobs are
being created and many are moving to the middle class. In the fourth
quarter of 2011, Polands economy showed substantial growth as it
blossomed 4.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, which is 0.1 percent
more than the third quarter. The Polish economy and zloty seem to increase
at a rapid pace as most developed countries try to accomplish. 61 Poland is
also at an advantage due to its richness of natural resources and strong
relations with many countries.
Exchange Rate
As of now, the Polish Zloty is weaker then the Canadian dollar.
continues to equal around 0.313178772 Canadian dollars.62
One zloty
Poland is the
only country in the European Union that has not adopted the Euro. It is still
unknown when or if they will adopt the Euro. As Polands central bank chief
said, they predict that when they adopt the Euro the economy would boom,
but some time after they would fear a collapse in Polands economy.
Their
economy has been doing very well, better than the EUs average and they
will take their time adopting the a new currency.63
21 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Inflation
The inflation rate in Poland is low, symbolizing its developed status. Poland
steadily maintains its low inflation rate of 4%. Polands inflation rate use to
be very high, especially in the early 90s (Poland saw inflation rates as high
as 45%.) Currently, Polands inflation rate is very steady and safe, making it
that more appealing as a country to invest in.
Natural Resources
Poland has been furnished with an abundance of non-renewable and

renewable resources. Poland can easily shadow over other countries with its
richness of resources such as copper, zinc, lead, sulphur, rock salt,
construction minerals and coal.
Poland seems to be amongst the largest
generators of the resources perviously stated. Poland has been blessed with
a large supply of oil, and many companies from around the world have
invested their time and money to take advantage of this opportunity. What
22 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Poland has a huge amount of is, geothermal waters. Geothermal waters are
an efficient source of heating for homes.
Poland has such a large amount,
they have 3.5 billion tonnes in equivalency to oil.64 Furthermore the energy
stored in these waters is equivalent to 33 billion tonnes of oils energy. This
is the largest supply of geothermal waters, in all of Europe which gives
Poland an easy advantage and an inexpensive way to heat homes in their
own country.65
Polands many resources provide for large amounts of
importing and exporting through the country and benefit Poland in a way
that makes their wallets bigger and competition smaller.
Above is PKN Orlen. One of the many companies to invest in Polands oil supply.
23 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Polish Products
Belvedere Vodka 66
Poland has had many products spawn in its country, some products have not
made it in the economy, and others have succeeded and contributed to
Polands success.
One very successful product that originated
from Poland is Belvedere Vodka.
Belvedere
Vodka was the worlds first luxury vodka as it

was first made over 600 years ago. This
product has walked into foreign countries such
as U.S.A. and is now served at high class
restaurants and bars. Belvedere has perfected
their ways of vodka making and now sells a
variety of different vodkas to only the most
prestigious customers.
Belvedere has a comparative advantage because they
are able to make their vodka using the wheat fields that
they own in Poland. This ensures production costs are
cheaper, giving them a comparative advantage.
Krosno Glassware 67
This company is popular for the elegant glassware that it
makes. Some of their finest glassware creations are
handcrafted by professional artists that live in Krosno,
Poland, giving them an absolute advantage as they have
access to these artists.
They were founded in Krosno,
Poland in 1923 and began to produce glassware in the

24 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
following year of 1924.
Krosno became very successful as it started to
export as early as 1945. Krosno is a very well known Polish product and can
be found in most Polish homes. Krosno positioned themselves as a luxurious,
unique and a prestigious brand and with that positioning, they price their
product higher then other, ordinary glassware products.
Polish Pottery68
A polish company named Boleslawiec pottery is
another unique brand that makes pottery and
even sells its works in North America.
The
business was opened in Boleslawiec, Poland.

What makes each product of theirs unique, is
that they are handcrafted and decorating using
very unique techniques in order to produce their
pieces.
As said before, each piece is unique in itself making these pieces
rare and collectible.
This company uses demand and supply, making very
little supply, creating a high demand for the product.
Polands Advantage
Poland has many attributes that give it a competitive edge over its
competitors.
1) Poland also has access to a young, educated workforce, that is
inexpensive, and which is a good opportunity for many businesses.69
2) Poland is part of many free trade agreements, one being the European
Union. The European Union gives Poland access to 27 very powerful
countries, bonding Poland economically and politically.70 Poland is also
involved in NATO.
25 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
3) Polands cheap labour force makes it competitive against the some of the
fastest growing countries (China and India). This is possible because of
Polands involvement in the European Union and how the cost of
transportation has been influenced as a result of the EU.71
4) Polands corporate tax is one of the lowest in the EU, being at 19% which
is the 6th lowest.72
Poland was named the 5th most attractive country (for investment) as a
survey was done on company managers (in 2008).73 Although Poland is still
ranked very high for most attractive investment. In 2011 Poland was ranked
as the 6th most attractive investment.74
Most attractive country for future investments (2008)
26 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Manufacturing and Innovation

As for innovation, Poland was one of the first, if not the first to come out
with vodka. Belvedere Vodka was the first company (making Poland the first
country) to begin selling luxury vodka. Although many of the vodka
companies in Poland have become successful but do not exclusively sell in
Poland.75
Poland also had manufactured the first compressed air camera which was
used to make videos and films. This was crafted in 1910 and was the first
successful hand held camera.
To say the least, Poland did influence the
future of cameras.76
Investment Opportunities77
As previously said, Poland is a great opportunity for Canadian firms to
perform foreign direct investments. Poland is in the same competition field
as China and India.
Poland has inexpensive labour and has a very young,
hard working, and educated work force. The cost of labour ranges from 4 to
10 times of what a company would originally be paying for their workforce.
To add on to the benefits companies will get by investing in Poland,
manufacturing is almost 30% cheaper than in North America.
This makes
the manufacturing industry a huge opportunity for companies and makes

Polands manufacturing industry more competitive than Chinas and Indias.
All these factors support why Poland is the fastest growing economy in the
European Union.
If Poland is still not convincing as an opportune investment, consider that, in
the years 2003-2004, European countries saw an average of 6.5% increase
of foreign investments, Not surprisingly though, Poland saw an increase of
250% in the same period. This just goes to show that investors are taking a
27 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
liking to Poland, with its cheap, educated labour and inexpensive

manufacturing costs.
Investment Methods
The best risk method would be foreign direct investment in Poland.
The
exact reasons were given in the section Investment Opportunities (provided

above). The workforce is very young and inexpensive, along with
manufacturing costing 30% less than usual, showing why foreign direct
investment the greatest opportunity for companies investing in Poland.
Furthermore, many Polish people are multilingual and speak both Polish and
English. A foreign direct investment would be very beneficial to any company
looking to manufacture goods as it can take advantage of Polands many
attributes.78
28 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Economic State
Polands economic state is rapidly growing as Poland is attracting a lot of
foreign investment and is a very outstanding country overall. Polands
workforce is one of the largest reasons for its success. 87% of Polish
students are mutilingual.
The demographics of Poland shows that 50% of
the population is less than 35 years of age and 35% are under 25.
This
proves Poland has a young workforce, ready to work for companies that will
invest in Poland.79
Polands economy was
booming in 2011s four
quarters. In each quarter
it dropped only 0.1% and it
started at 4.4%. Polands
growth rate was the fourth
highest of the European
Union and it is significantly
higher than the average of the European Union (which is 1.6%).
Poland is one of the fastest economically expanding countries in the EU as it
is breezing by the competition at 4% growth.
Although the market is
slowing down, but it will not slow down by a large amount. As the governor
of the National Bank of Poland, Marek Belks said, The economy is slowing
down. The recent data shows that the slowdown will not be dramatic. 80 The
predictions is that Polands growth rate will slow down to 2.5%.
Although
Poland will still be the fourth highest country in the EU and will stay
significantly higher then the EUs average growth rate of 0.5%.81 The reason
for the dramatic decrease is due to the European bank crisis. Poland will not
be hugely affected by this crisis as Polands economy has a very
29 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
favorable structure. Poland does not rely on its exports but instead, its
industrial output, its large market and active consumers.
Poland can very
likely get through this crisis unharmed.82

Poland is a very strong nation, and even though its growth is weakening
slightly it still seems to stay at the top when faced with the worst of crisis.
As Wenbo Hou, the general manager of the Bank of China in Poland said,
Even though Europe is in a financial crisis Polands economy still thrives and
has been the economy least affected by the crisis. 83
The map to the left shows the

countries that were negatively
affected by the European Debt
Crisis. As you can see, Poland is
the only one which has been the
least effected as its seen as the
green island, an economical
haven.84
30 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Part 3
31 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Infrastructure
Polands has a well built infrastructure as it is very easy to get around in
Poland. Poland has the Euro 2012 soccer championships coming up and the
Polish Infrastructure manager said that people will have no trouble getting to
or around Poland. Although since it will be busy, getting into Poland from the
borderlines, the airways would be the top choice for traveling into Poland.
Additionally in 2013 Poland is expected to receive 67 billion Euros to fund
the infrastructure of its country.85
Even the Bank of China is prioritizing its resources in infrastructure, energy
and new technology, making Poland have a very effective infrastructure.86
Here are some statistics about Polands infrastructure 87:

Airports(2010): 129;
Paved Runways in Airports: 86;
Unpaved Airports: 43
Heliports: 7
Pipelines: Gas:
13680 km;
Oil 1,385 km
Railways: There are

19,428 km of
railways
Roadways(2008): 423,997 km
32 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Waterways(2009): 3,997 km (waterways are rivers and canals which can be

navigated by only small water crafts).
Facilities
Hotels:88
There are many hotels
in Poland. One hotel is
called the BRISTOL and
it is located on a very
elegant street, called
Kings Walk. This is a
luxury hotel and is even
inexpensive as they
offer the Best price
guarantee. By saying
this they mean that no
other hotel offers the same quality service and rooms at the same price.
The price they offer is
210 Polish Zloty which
is equal to around 62
Canadian dollars.
To view their website
visit it here:
http://bit.ly/KrNbIa
33 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Airports:89
The Frederic Chopin International Airport is located in Polands capital
(Warsaw) and is the largest airport in Poland consuming 834 hectares of
land.
In 2008, this airport dealt with 50 percent of flights into and out of
Poland, proving that it is Polands most important airport.
To view the airport and to plan your trip using this airport, you can go to this
link: http://bit.ly/uFUkIg
Airports in Poland are very clean and have a well organized blue-print which
allows their airports to be very effective and efficient.
34 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Airlines in Poland:90
Flying in Poland,
there are many
airlines but the
Polish Airline LOT is
the most
noticeable. It was
established in 1929
and became the
first aircraft in
western Europe to fly Boeing- manufactured aircraft.
In 2008 LOT took a
loss and the Polish government has been trying to privatize LOT since 2008.
LOT is one of the oldest airlines, and now travels to 59 countries. If you are
planning to fly with LOT and for the prices to different areas visit here:
http://bit.ly/L0AgxV
35 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Office Spaces
Finding and renting office spaces in Poland is easy, flexible, and very popular
among corporate businesses that enter Poland. When businesses establish a
headquarters in Poland and they can rent a suite. As said before this is very
flexible, as they can add more workstations and increase the size of their
suite(s) as they hire more people to work for them in their office spaces.91
One very noticeable, high end office space is on Domaniewska Street,
Warsaw.
This is a fully furnished, high quality building that offers office
space. They also offer92:

- Meeting rooms
- Common Areas
- Video conferencing areas
- Shared space
- Virtual Offices
- High speed internet
- Modern technology (Cable
and telephone systems)
- Broadband Access
- All day access
- Air Conditioning
- Lifts
- On site car parking
- Telephone answering
- Admin Support
Luckily office space by Domaniewska Street is located close by to a PKS train
station. Furthermore they are located near stores such as shopping centers,
hotels and restaurants which is why this office space is a favorable area.93
36 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
The price has to be agreed upon when contacting the office. To contact, call
08701127890.
Recent Changes
There have been some recent but minor changes that have had an impact on
the business environment in Poland. Luckily Poland has a safe government,
as they moved away from communism many years ago.
Polands currency
took a big hit from the European debt crisis in 2011, although, as said
before, Poland was the European country which was least affected by this
crisis.
Poland was able to rebound right back and Polands currency now
ranges from 3 to 3.5 points, but it is stabilizing even more.
Currently, in
2012, businesses should still consider the small fluctuations of the Zloty
when making business deals.94
37 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Poland has very competitive tax rates which is why many companies like to
invest in Poland. Polands tax on corporate profits is 19%, which is tied with
the seventh lowest tax rate in the EU. This is one of the many reasons
Poland is seen as a competitor against countries
like India and China.95
Corporate Tax in the EU
Tariffs in Poland are an important

factor to consider for businesses as
well. First of all, Poland is involved
in many economic communities such
as the European Union and EFTA.
Apart from Switzerland, Poland is
also able to trade freely with other
members in the agreements. As for
countries that Poland is not in a free
tariff agreement with, there are
certain tariffs. These tariffs
fluctuate between products, and
these tariffs are used by the entire
EU.96
38 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Trade Disputes
Poland has had a trade dispute with Russia in the past. What had originally
happened was that Russia banned Polish meat products from being imported
into their country. Russia said they banned it due to the fact that the Polish
meats were low quality.
Poland then retaliated at the EU conference by
vetoing the talks of a new treaty with Russia.
The trade dispute ended in
2007 when an agreement was made that only high quality meat products to
Russia would be exported.97
Poland is not in any current day (as of June 2012) trade disputes with other
countries.
Trade Agreements
Poland is in many trade agreements between other countries.
1) First Poland signs the WTO (World Trade Organization) treaty in 1995.98
The WTO is an international organization that monitors trade agreements
and rules between nations. The WTOs goal is to help businesses achieve
success in foreign markets.99
2) Poland joined the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-Operation and
Development) in 1996.100 The reason for the creation of the OECD was to
promote economic agreements which would promote the economic and
social well being of people around the globe.101
3) Poland joined NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) in 1999.102
NATOs purpose is to protect the security of its members through political
and military means. NATO has been a big help in stabilizing the political
environment.103
39 | Page
Poland
4) Poland joines the EU (European Union) in 2004.105
Trade Manual
The purpose of the
European Union is to tighten the economic and political ties between

countries in Europe. Most of the countries in the EU (except for Poland)
have adopted the Euro. There are 27 countries in the EU.105
5) Finally the last trade agreement that Poland got involved in was the
Schengen agreement, in 2007.106 The Schengen agreement gets rid of
people needing passports to cross over or to move between some
European countries.107
The amount of agreements Poland has participated in gives it a lot of access

to other countries' resources and provides Poland with many benefits (such
as free trade).
40 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Polands Relationships
WTO108
Polands has been a member of the WTO since 1995.
Poland has followed
the rules applied by the WTO keeping a good relationship with all the
members in the WTO. Polands previous schedules with the WTO were
revised before they entered the EU. Poland, as said before, did end up
joining the
EU.
Poland in the WTO.
IMF109
The IMF (International Monetary Fund)
has a good relationship with Poland. The
IMF was so impressed with Poland, that
the IMF granted Poland a loan in 2010.
Although Poland has not yet needed to
draw on this funding by the IMF. Also, like
The IMF believes Poland can thrive

with its high domestic demand.
many others, the IMF is amazed that
41 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Poland was able to stay afloat during the debt crisis while the countries
around them were facing so many problems.
World Bank
The World Bank has a good relationship with Poland, and has helped
Poland in three main ways:
i) Assisted with the preparation and implementation of programs,
programs which include reducing the seriousness of social problems.
ii) Given advice/ recommendations on the public sector, and also
helped with problems Poland would face in the EU.
iii) Recommendations to improve the environment, social sectors and
managing private investments such as infrastructure.
42 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Part 4
43 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Culture Overview
Poland, just like many other cultures has customs of what is accepted and
not accepted in society.
Taboos/ Tips110
A taboo is something that is prohibited or restricted by a social custom.
- Polish people will be quite formal upon initial contact, be very respectful
and try to set a good impression
- Handshake every time you meet and / or leave
- Womens hands are shaken before males, elderly women shaken before
younger women
- Holding doors open for women is standard
- Always respect your elders, offer them seats on buses, etc.
- Do not use first names when referring to others, instead Mrs. or Mr.,
followed by their surname, although it is rude to refer to someone only by
their surname
- Calling someone Doctor or Professor is also impolite
- Do not ask a females age
Gestures 111
- It is insulting to stick up the middle finger at someone
- It is insulting to point to someone with your index finger
- To invite someone for a drink, flick your neck
- (Non business partners) When you greet someone from Poland a light kiss
on each cheek is accepted
44 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Colours 112
The colours of the Polish flag represent something important to the Polish
people. The Polish flag is red and white, and sometimes has a symbol of an
eagle on the white part.
The colours on the Polish flag symbolize the
national coat of arms which is a white eagle on a red shield.
The red
symbolizes the blood that was lost for the countries fight for independence.
The white of the flag symbolizes peace.
Numbers
The emergency number, (the relative to 911 in Canada) is 112. Although
there are direct phone numbers to emergency stations (given below):113
999: Ambulance
998: Fire Brigade
997: police
981: Road Assistance
986: Municipal police 114
There are no lucky numbers but there is an unlucky number considered to
some Polish people. Some Poles believe the number 13 is unlucky, that you
should never have 13 people at a dinner.
because of their religion.
The reason for their beliefs is
In the bible, there were 13 present at Jesus
Christs Last Supper. One of the disciples betrayed Jesus Christ, allowing for
crucification. There are many other reasons for why Polish people believe in
13 being unlucky, although they are all superstitious and some Polish people
do not believe in any unlucky numbers.115 As Ewa from BBC languages said,
Its something like fairy tale... Its nice to hear but its impossible to believe
in. 116
45 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Holidays
Poland has many holidays that are similar to Canada but they also have
holidays that Canada does not have. These are the holidays and their dates
for the year of 2012:
On January 6 a holiday called Epiphany will be
celebrated. Epiphany is celebrating the event of
Christ being baptized.
117
This is a national
holiday that was reinstated in 2011. (Epiphany

was discontinued due to communist rule.)118
The three gods in Epiphany
On May 27 another holiday called the Pentecost
will be celebrated. The Pentecost celebrates the
gift of the Holy Spirit. Like any other holiday in
Poland, Poles take this day off.119
On June 7 the holiday of Corpus Christi is

celebrated. This day celebrates the day before
Christs crucifixion.120
These are the holidays that are important to Polish people and are also
holidays that most Canadians do not celebrate. Polish people also celebrate
what we celebrate such as Christmas.121
Bread and wine are usually offered during Christian Holy

Days
46 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Business Etiquette122
Knowing and understanding proper business manners and proper business

etiquette is essential to know when entering a foreign country.
Just like
other countries, Poland has its own customs that people are expected to
follow when conducting business in Poland.
Greeting:
- A strong and confident handshake
- Make good eye contact when you are first meeting the person
- Call people by their Mr. or Mrs., followed by their last name
- When leaving the group, do not say a general goodbye, instead say
goodbye to each individual separately
- Wait for women to extend their hand first upon initial meeting
- Let women walk through doors first and hold the door for them
Communication:
- The key to being successful is to create a strong trust between you and
your partners
- In order to get to know your business partners you should meet and talk
over food, unless it is brought up by the other party
- When invited, or when you invite your partners, to go eat, the host pays
the bill, although it is polite to offer
Meeting and Negotiating
- Presentations should be organized and the speaker should be confident
- Make sure you do not offend anyone as it will negatively impact your
meeting
47 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Activities and Traditions

Going to the movies, music
festivals and visiting art
galleries or museums are all
popular activities that Poles like
to participate in on their spare
time. The most popular sport is
soccer, followed by athletic
sports (such as cycling) and
boxing.123
On average, Poles watch four hours of television everyday.
Going out with
friends, to places such as the mall, is becoming more popular.124

Another popular activity is growing and harvesting vegetables or growing
flowers. Polish people find these activities relaxing and takes their minds off
of their busy lives.125
Music is very important to all Polish people.
The folk music of Poland still
dominates many of the festivals Polish people have. Many music festivals are
held in Poland.126
Although the younger generation is now moving towards more American
style music.
One music festival that is going to be held in Poland is Coke
Live Music Festival. Coca Cola is holding this music event from August 1920, 2012 and will have Kid Cudi and Kanye West perform at their festival.
This is being looked forward to by many younger Polish people, and just
goes to show that the younger generation (1980s and up) are moving
towards American style music.127
48 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Another popular foreign brand that is holding a festival in Poland, is

Heineken. Their concert will be taking place on July 4th to 7th.128
Some Polish people will also have a Polish Day. This is a recreational event
which has been celebrated for the 140th year in 2012.
It is celebrated by
some Polish people because it is the day that Polish people first settled in the
Waterloo region. During this day Polish people would get together and have
polish foods such as kielbasa, pierogi and perform traditional dances and
wear traditional clothing.129
Poles celebrating Polish day wearing traditional clothing.
49 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Culture Difference
Poland is different then Canada, and if someone was to living in Poland they
might notice some cultural differences.
Although, Poland is moving towards North Americas culture and if you can
remember the Taboos and correct business etiquette, you will be off to a
good start to understanding Poland.
If someone who has moved to Poland, enjoys
going out for breakfast at cafes, they may
experience a difference. Breakfast foods that are
common in cafes in Canada, are not common in
Poland. In Poland, someone would usually buy
toast, sandwiches or cakes.130
Other than breakfast, the rest of the day may
seem a lot like Canada, as you can do many
things such as go out to the mall, clubs or the
movies.131
The above are Polish cakes.
Geert Hofstede132
Geert Hofstede is a professor that came up with 5 categories in which he
would rank a country and its culture. Each category is out of 100.
Power Distance (PD)
PD is the idea that individuals are not equal. In a company it would be how
less powerful members help with decisions etc.
Poland received a PD of 68. For business, this means that people in Poland
with more wealth/ power will make the decisions, while people with less
power will only follow the decisions.
50 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Individualism (IDV)
INV is the idea of how dependent people in a country are.
Polands INV rating is 60. For business in Poland, this means that people in
Poland will work to make money to support themselves and their family.
Furthermore an employer/ employee relationship will be determined on the
benefits each person is receiving from the other. (i.e. Receiving more pay
means that the people in Poland working for you will be happier.)
Masculinity / Femininity (MAS)

This factor is the idea of how men will dominate in the workplace.
This is
traditional female male roles.

High score means men dominate the workplace.
Low score means there is equality in the workplace between males and
females.
Poland was ranked 64 on this section.
This means that men will dominate
the workplace and be making the most important decisions.
Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI)

This is a countrys thought process, of how much impact they will have on
their future.
The two general questions are, Should we try to control our
future? (which is a high rating) or Should we just let our future

happen? (which is a low rating).
Poland scored extremely high, getting a 93 on this section. This means that
Polish people do not like uncertainty about their future to. This is helpful for
business because this means that people like to know what they are getting
paid, and when, and will work hard as long as they know they will be
rewarded in the end.
51 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Long Term Orientation

This dimension determines how important the future is to people in a
country.
Poland scored a 32, which means Poland is a short term culture.
You can
use this information for business because people in Poland like to see results
in the short term.
These results can be getting a task done, and being
rewarded for what they have done.
The above is Geert Hofstedes

rankings for Poland in each of
the dimensions (the 5
categories).
52 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Part 5
53 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
5 Risk Assessments
Doing business in Poland is seen as a very good choice among many
companies and people.
Foreign direct investment is the most favorable
investment for a country, and has been increasing in Poland.

Political Risk
Luckily Polands government is stable and there are no major legal issues or
requirements that would hurt business. The government of Poland now uses
the same government system as Canada, so they will not do any acts that
would harm businesses (unless a business made some huge legal errors).
Poland has moved away from communism years ago, and since Poland has a
stable government, the political risk is very low.
Economical Risk
The Polish Zloty is weaker then Canadas currency but is still a stable
currency. The Zloty does not have huge swings in its value.
Poland is a
developed country but it is still developing to reach the developed status

that Western countries have reached (such as Canada and the U.S). Poland
was also the European country which was able to best handle the European
debt crisis. Along with its stable economy, Polands economic risk is low.
Social Risk
The social/ cultural risk of Poland is low when coming from a country of
North America, such as Canada.
This is because Poland is becoming a lot
more westernized and is forming many North American cultural preferences

(such as movies and shopping at malls).
When going to Poland, there are
only small differences that a business would have to watch out for. (Such as
shaking the womens hand first.)
54 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Technological Risk
For the technological risk, technology is becoming an increasing want in
Poland.
Due to this, more foreign direct investments are needed so that
Poland can stay technologically advanced and up to date.
Additionally,
businesses in Poland will have no problems accessing business essential

materials (such as wi-fi to access the internet) as it can all easily be found
and set up in Poland. This makes the technological risk very low in Poland.
Natural Risk
Poland has a wealth of natural resources. These resources provide
inexpensive shipping for businesses in Poland (such as geothermal waters).
The weather in Poland is also very manageable. Poland has cold winters and
mild summers. Acknowledging that, businesses should not have any
problems setting up and running their business with the workers they hire.
Poland is also becoming more eco-friendly. Poland definitely has a low
natural risk as it does not experience hurricanes or tornados like other
countries.
Overall Risk
2.5
7.5
2.5/ 10 = Low risk
On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being low risk, 10 being high risk, Poland scores 2.5
meaning that the country has low overall risk. Poland has a very low risk for
investments.
This was the ranking of the previous risks:
55 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Political
1/10
Economical
2/10
Social
2/10
Technological
3/10
Natural
3/10
Considering the fact that Poland is doing a great job in maintaining a stable
government and maintaining a stable economy despite its neighbors, there
are few precautions that a business would need to take.
Political Precautions:
Make sure to follow the laws established and set by the Polish government.
Economical Precautions:
As said before, Poland is able to keep a stable economy while the rest of its
neighbors suffer from economic crisis such as the European debt crisis.
Although businesses need to make sure to do research before performing a
foreign direct investment in Poland.
Social and Cultural Precautions:

Make sure to follow the cultural and social etiquette, which is listed on pages
44 and 47. These social expectations should be practiced and remembered
before contacting businesses in Poland.
Social etiquette is very similar to
Canadian culture so it will not be difficult to remember proper etiquette.
56 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Technological Precautions:
Poland is advancing in technology, and now has access to many technologies
that businesses would use (such as phone and internet service). Poland is
also developing its clean energy sector (such as solar power technology). All
of these factors show that Poland is technologically developed making
technology a low influencing factor/ risk.
Natural Precautions:
Poland does have winters that are similar, but less harsh than Canada.
When opening a business in Poland it is important to consider these winters
during periods where a company would like to set up new locations and do
construction. Due to Polands winter, businesses will need to take winter into
thought when performing certain projects.
Investing
Poland, a nation that has surprised many people by pulling through the
hardest of times. Poland is a very different country when compared to
Canada or the United States. The culture is different, the holidays are
different, and most importantly the business performed in Poland, is
different.
Poland is an amazing opportunity that businesses should recognize, and by
doing so businesses can make a high return. Poland may be one of the most
favorable countries for foreign investment.
Poland has not only been granted a wealth of natural resources such as
having a large coal supply, but they have a highly educated, young
workforce. This workforce is one of the many reasons why Poland is able to
attract so many investments from other countries.
57 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
All the information collected from part 1 through 5, shows that Poland will be
a good choice for an investment. Poland is a fast developing nation, one of
the largest nations in the EU.
Poland has been developing and growing its
economy and infrastructure for many years. Many foreign investments have
taken place and more will take place as Poland will need more to support its
technological growth.
The best investment option for Poland, as stated many times before, is
foreign direct investment. Although, there are some other options for
performing foreign direct investment in Poland. Companies that should
invest in Poland should be companies that are able to manufacture products
in Poland. Since the cost of manufacturing is 30% less than the average of
other countries, companies will save a lot of money if choosing to invest in
Poland.133 Not only are the manufacturing costs less but the young, educated
workforce, costs less. All these reductions in a businesses costs further
show why Poland is such a great investment opportunity. To be specific, the
manufacturing of Polands infrastructure will most likely bring the highest
returns since the infrastructure in Poland has huge amounts of money being
put into it.
Poland can be seen as Chinas competitor, but even China is choosing to
invest in Poland. One of the reasons they are choosing to invest in Poland, is
because of Polands market stability despite any crisis Europe might be
facing.134
This proves that Poland is a great investment opportunity for foreign direct
investments and for businesses that will manufacture or invest in its
infrastructure. Along with the opportunity of foreign direct investment,
Poland has diversified itself with trade agreements (such as the EU). These
relations give Poland more benefits and trade opportunities with other
countries that are involved in the same agreement.
58 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Bibliography
"About OECD." OECD. OECD, 2012. Web. 29 May 2012.
"About Us." Polish Pottery. Teresa Beach Polish Pottery, 2006. Web. 28 May
2012.
"A Domaniewska Street Serviced Office." YourCityOffice. Your City Office,
2012. Web. 29 May 2012.
Agencies. "Poland's Infrastructure Ready for Euro 2012 - Polish Minister."
Global Times. The Global Times, 22 May 2012. Web. 29 May 2012.
"Aveo 100 000!" FSO S.A. FSO, 01 Feb. 2011. Web. 03 June 2012.
Bugajski, Janusz. Poland. World Book Volume 15. First edition. 2010. Print.
"Bank of China to Aid Chinese Investors in Poland - Warsaw Business Journal
- Online Portal - Wbj.pl." WBJ. Warsaw Business Journal, 29 May 2012.
Web. 29 May 2012.
"Basic Information on the European Union." EUROPA. Europa, 2012. Web. 29
May 2012.
Boulden, Jim. "Polish Flag Carrier Emerges from Turbulence." CNN. Cable
News Network, 25 May 2012. Web. 29 May 2012.
"Bristol in Warsaw." Bristol in Warsaw. Travel Online, 2012. Web. 29 May
2012.
Canada. World Book Volume 3. First edition. 2010. Print.
59 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
"Company." FSO S.A. FSO, 2012. Web. 03 June 2012.

Coke. "Coke Live Music Festival." FestivalEurope. European Festivals, 2012.
Web. 29 May 2012.
"Convert Polish Zloty to Canadian Dollar | PLN to CAD." The Money
Converter. 4 June 2012. Web. 04 June 2012.
"Corpus Christi." TimeandDate. Time and Date, 2012. Web. 29 May 2012.
Dept. of Investor Relations. "Polands GDP Growth." Bloomberg. Agnieszka
Steindl, 10 Jan. 2012. Web. 28 May 2012.
"Doing Business in Poland." Kwintessential. Kwintessential, 2012. Web. 29
May 2012.
Dube, Ryan. "Poland's Belka Says Economic Slowdown 'Not Dramatic'"
NASDAQ.com. NASDAQ, 25 May 2012. Web. 28 May 2012.
Embassy of the Republic of Poland In Ottawa. Polish- Canadian Merchandise
Trade. 2012. Web. 14 Mar 2012.
"European Union." Encyclopedia of Management. 2009. Encyclopedia.com.
12 Mar. 2012 .
"Europe :: Poland." CIA - The World Factbook. Directorate of Intelligence, 3
May 2012. Web. 28 May 2012.
Ewa. "BBC Superstitions." BBC News. BBC. Web. 29 May 2012.
"Foreign Direct Investment in Poland." Pure.au.dk. AARHUS School of
Business, 2009. Web. 3 June 2012.
60 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
"Global Office Space to Rent in Poland." Office Broker. Office Broker, 2012.
Web. 29 May 2012.
Harper, Douglas. "Epiphany." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, 2012. Web. 29
May 2012.
Heineken. "Heineken Opener Festival." FestivalEurope. European Festivals,
2012. Web. 30 May 2012.
Herbert, Stephen. "Kazimierz Proszynski." Victorian Cinema. 2011. Web. 28
May 2012.
"Heritage and Authenticity." Belvedere Vodka. Belvedere, 2012. Web. 25 Apr.
2012.
"Holidays in 2012." Poland Government. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2012.
Web. 29 May 2012.
"How the EU Works." EUROPA. European Union, 2012. Web. 28 May 2012.
"IMF Survey: Poland Continues As Bright Spot in Region." IMF. International
Monetary Fund, 3 Feb. 2012. Web. 29 May 2012.
"Import, Export and Tariff Regulations, EU Regulations." Poland Government.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2011. Web. 29 May 2012.
"Krosno." About Us - Krosno. Krosno, 2010. Web. 28 May 2012.
"National Flag of Poland." World Flags 101. Web. 29 May 2012.
"NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization." NATO. NATO, 2012. Web. 29
May 2012.
61 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Lowe, Janek. "Polish Day Celebrates History, Culture." TheRecord. Mertoland

Media Group, 6 May 2012. Web. 30 May 2012.
"Natural Resources." Poland.gov.pl. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2008. Web.
24 Apr. 2012.
"Newsletter." Startseite. European Regional Development Fund, 2011. Web.
25 Apr. 2012.
"Nicolaus Copernicus | Cleric and Astronomer." Ludicafe: Library. Web. 04
June 2012.
Palka, Ella. "Epiphany Holiday Celebrated in Poland." WBJ. Warsaw Business
Journal, 30 May 2012. Web. 29 May 2012.
"Pentecost." BBC News. BBC, 23 June 2009. Web. 29 May 2012.
"PKN ORLEN." Orlen. PKN ORLEN, 2012. Web. 03 June 2012.
"Poland Emergency Phone Numbers." Stay Poland. Stay Poland, 2012.
Web. 29 May 2012.
"Poland and the WTO." WTO. WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION, 2012. Web. 29
May 2012.
"Poland Defies Global Crisis." Poland. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2011. Web.
29 May 2012.
Poland - Economy. Encyclopedia of the Nations. Advameg, Inc. 2012. Web.
12 Mar. 2012.
"Poland - Geert Hofstede." Geert Hofstede. Itim, 2012. Web. 30 May 2012.
62 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
"Poland Hotels, 1000 Hotels in Poland, Travel & Tourism Database by Local
Tour Operator." Stay Poland. Stay Poland Travel, 2012. Web. 03 June
2012.
"Poland Pushes for Saudi Investment in Key Projects." Zawya. Arab News, 25
Apr. 2012. Web. 01 June 2012.
"Poland Squeezes Cash out of State Firms." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 30
May 2012. Web. 1 June 2012.
"Poland Welcomes More Chinese Investment." China Daily. CDIC, 24 Apr.
2012. Web. 31 May 2012.
"Poland." World Bank. The World Bank Group, 2012. Web. 03 June 2012.
"Poland." Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 12
Mar. 2012.
"Polish Culture Profile." Diversicare. Diversicare, June 2006. Web. 29 May
2012.
"Q&A: Schengen Agreement." BBC News. BBC, 03 Dec. 2012. Web. 29 May
2012.
Seputyte, Milda. "EU Sees Poland's Economy Expanding at Fastest Pace in
Bloc." Bloomberg. Bloomberg, 11 May 2012. Web. 28 May 2012.
Sobczyk, Marcin. "Any Exit from Euro Would Crown a Disaster, Polish Central
Bank Chief Says." WSJ.com. Dow Jones & Company, Inc., 2012. Web.
25 Apr. 2012.
63 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
"University of Warsaw." University of Warsaw. UW, 2012. Web. 03 June

2012.
U.S. Department of State. Republic of Poland. 2012. Web. 14 Mar 2012.
Vatutin, Alexander. "RUSSIA AND POLAND SETTLE TRADE DISPUTE." Voice
of Russia. Moscow Time, 13 Dec. 2007. Web. 29 May 2012.
Wach, Krzysztof. "Doing Business in Poland." Cracow University of
Economics, 2008. Web. 28 May 2012.
"Warsaw Airport." Warsaw Life. Poland Travel Guide, 2012. Web. 29 May
2012.
"Warsaw Guide." SWPS. University of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2012.
Web. 30 May 2012.
"Why Is the Number "13" Considered an "unlucky" Number?" Answerbag.
AnswerBag, 13 Nov. 2010. Web. 29 May 2012.
"What Is the WTO?" WTO. World Trade Organization, 2012. Web. 29 May
2012.
"Why to Invest in Poland?" Poland Government. Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
2008. Web. 28 May 2012.
64 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
Endnotes
Bugajski, Janusz. Poland. World Book Volume 15. First edition. 2010.
Print.
1
iBid
iBid
iBid
iBid
iBid

Mar. 2012.
8
"European Union." Encyclopedia of Management. 2009. Encyclopedia.com.

12 Mar. 2012 .
9
Bugajski, Jamusz. Poland. World Book Volume 15. First edition. 2010.
Print.
10
iBid
11
iBid
12
iBid
13
Canada. World Book Volume 3. First edition. 2010. Print.
14
"Europe :: Poland." CIA - The World Factbook. Directorate of Intelligence,

3 May 2012. Web. 28 May 2012.
15
iBid
16
Print.
17
iBid
18

19
20
iBid
21
iBid
65 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
22
Poland - Economy. Encyclopedia of the Nations. Advameg, Inc. 2012.

Web. 12 Mar. 2012.
23
24
iBid
25
iPhone World Clock.
26
"Poland Hotels, 1000 Hotels in Poland, Travel & Tourism Database by Local
Tour Operator." Stay Poland. Stay Poland Travel, 2012. Web. 03 June 2012.
27

3 May 2012. Web. 28 May 2012.
28
iBid

29
30
Print.
31
iBid
32
iBid
33
U.S. Department of State. Republic of Poland. 2012. Web. 14 Mar 2012.
34
iBid
35
iBid
36
iBid
37
iBid
38
Print.
39
Embassy of the Republic of Poland In Ottawa. Polish- Canadian

Merchandise Trade. 2012. Web. 14 Mar 2012.
40
iBid
41
"PKN ORLEN." Orlen. PKN ORLEN, 2012. Web. 03 June 2012.
42
"Company." FSO S.A. FSO, 2012. Web. 03 June 2012.
66 | Page
Poland
43
Trade Manual
"Aveo 100 000!" FSO S.A. FSO, 01 Feb. 2011. Web. 03 June 2012.
44
"University of Warsaw." University of Warsaw. UW, 2012. Web. 03 June

2012.
45
Print.
46
iBid
47
"Nicolaus Copernicus | Cleric and Astronomer." Ludicafe: Library. Web. 04

June 2012.
48
Print.
49

3 May 2012. Web. 28 May 2012.
50

Mar. 2012.
51
iBid
52
iBid
53

3 May 2012. Web. 28 May 2012.
54
55
iBid
"Poland Pushes for Saudi Investment in Key Projects." Zawya. Arab News,
25 Apr. 2012. Web. 01 June 2012.
56

2012. Web. 31 May 2012.
57
"Poland Squeezes Cash out of State Firms." Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 30

May 2012. Web. 1 June 2012.
58
59

3 May 2012. Web. 28 May 2012.
60
"Poland." World Bank. The World Bank Group, 2012. Web. 03 June 2012
61
http://bit.ly/HJ2U37 (Crashed Link)

67 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
62

63
Sobczyk, Marcin. "Any Exit from Euro Would Crown a Disaster, Polish
Central Bank Chief Says." WSJ.com. Dow Jones & Company, Inc., 2012.
Web. 25 Apr. 2012.
64
"Natural Resources." Poland.gov.pl. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2008. Web.

24 Apr. 2012.
65
"Newsletter." Startseite. European Regional Development Fund, 2011.

Web. 25 Apr. 2012.
66
"Heritage and Authenticity." Belvedere Vodka. Belvedere, 2012. Web. 25

Apr. 2012.
67
"Krosno." About Us - Krosno. Krosno, 2010. Web. 28 May 2012.
68
"About Us." Polish Pottery. Teresa Beach Polish Pottery, 2006. Web. 28
May 2012.
69

2008. Web. 28 May 2012.
70
"How the EU Works." EUROPA. European Union, 2012. Web. 28 May 2012.
71

2008. Web. 28 May 2012.
72

73
iBid

2012. Web. 31 May 2012.
74
75
"Heritage and Authenticity." Belvedere Vodka. Belvedere, 2012. Web. 25

Apr. 2012.
76
Herbert, Stephen. "Kazimierz Proszynski." Victorian Cinema. 2011. Web.

28 May 2012.
"Foreign Direct Investment in Poland." Pure.au.dk. AARHUS School of
Business, 2009. Web. 3 June 2012.
77

78
68 | Page
Poland
79
Trade Manual
iBid
Dube, Ryan. "Poland's Belka Says Economic Slowdown 'Not Dramatic'"

NASDAQ.com. NASDAQ, 25 May 2012. Web. 28 May 2012.
80
Dept. of Investor Relations. "Polands GDP Growth." Bloomberg. Agnieszka

Steindl, 10 Jan. 2012. Web. 28 May 2012.
81

82
"Bank of China to Aid Chinese Investors in Poland - Warsaw Business

Journal - Online Portal - Wbj.pl." WBJ. Warsaw Business Journal, 29 May
2012. Web. 29 May 2012.
83
"Poland Defies Global Crisis." Poland. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2011.

Web. 29 May 2012.
84
Agencies. "Poland's Infrastructure Ready for Euro 2012 - Polish Minister."

Global Times. The Global Times, 22 May 2012. Web. 29 May 2012.
85
"Bank of China to Aid Chinese Investors in Poland - Warsaw Business

Journal - Online Portal - Wbj.pl." WBJ. Warsaw Business Journal, 29 May
2012. Web. 29 May 2012.
86

3 May 2012. Web. 28 May 2012.
87
"Bristol in Warsaw." Bristol in Warsaw. Travel Online, 2012. Web. 29 May

2012.
88
"Warsaw Airport." Warsaw Life. Poland Travel Guide, 2012. Web. 29 May
2012.
89
Boulden, Jim. "Polish Flag Carrier Emerges from Turbulence." CNN. Cable
News Network, 25 May 2012. Web. 29 May 2012.
90
"Global Office Space to Rent in Poland." Office Broker. Office Broker, 2012.
Web. 29 May 2012.
91
"A Domaniewska Street Serviced Office." YourCityOffice. Your City Office,

2012. Web. 29 May 2012.
92
93
iBid
94
iPhone, Stocks Application. Apple. 29 May 2012. Web. 29 May 2012.

95
69 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
"Import, Export and Tariff Regulations, EU Regulations." Poland

Government. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2011. Web. 29 May 2012.
96
Vatutin, Alexander. "RUSSIA AND POLAND SETTLE TRADE DISPUTE." Voice

of Russia. Moscow Time, 13 Dec. 2007. Web. 29 May 2012.
97

98
"What Is the WTO?" WTO. World Trade Organization, 2012. Web. 29 May
2012.
99

100
101
"About OECD." OECD. OECD, 2012. Web. 29 May 2012.

102
"NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization." NATO. NATO, 2012. Web. 29

May 2012.
103

104
"Basic Information on the European Union." EUROPA. Europa, 2012. Web.

29 May 2012.
105

106
"Q&A: Schengen Agreement." BBC News. BBC, 03 Dec. 2012. Web. 29

May 2012.
107
"Poland and the WTO." WTO. WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION, 2012. Web.
29 May 2012.
108
"IMF Survey: Poland Continues As Bright Spot in Region." IMF.

International Monetary Fund, 3 Feb. 2012. Web. 29 May 2012.
109

2012.
110
111
iBid
112
"National Flag of Poland." World Flags 101. Web. 29 May 2012.
70 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
"Poland Emergency Phone Numbers." Stay Poland. Stay Poland, 2012.

Web. 29 May 2012.
113
114
iBid
"Why Is the Number "13" Considered an "unlucky" Number?" Answerbag.

AnswerBag, 13 Nov. 2010. Web. 29 May 2012.
115
116
Ewa. "BBC Superstitions." BBC News. BBC. Web. 29 May 2012.
Harper, Douglas. "Epiphany." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, 2012. Web.

29 May 2012.
117
Palka, Ella. "Epiphany Holiday Celebrated in Poland." WBJ. Warsaw

Business Journal, 30 May 2012. Web. 29 May 2012.
118
119
"Pentecost." BBC News. BBC, 23 June 2009. Web. 29 May 2012.
120
"Corpus Christi." TimeandDate. Time and Date, 2012. Web. 29 May 2012.
"Holidays in 2012." Poland Government. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2012.

Web. 29 May 2012.
121
"Doing Business in Poland." Kwintessential. Kwintessential, 2012. Web. 29

May 2012.
122

2012.
123
124
iBid
125
iBid
126
iBid
Coke. "Coke Live Music Festival." FestivalEurope. European Festivals,

2012. Web. 29 May 2012.
127
Heineken. "Heineken Opener Festival." FestivalEurope. European

Festivals, 2012. Web. 30 May 2012.
128
Lowe, Janek. "Polish Day Celebrates History, Culture." TheRecord.

Mertoland Media Group, 6 May 2012. Web. 30 May 2012.
129
"Warsaw Guide." SWPS. University of Social Sciences and Humanities,

2012. Web. 30 May 2012.
130
131
iBid
71 | Page
Poland
Trade Manual
"Poland - Geert Hofstede." Geert Hofstede. Itim, 2012. Web. 30 May

2012.
132

133

2012. Web. 31 May 2012.
134
72 | Page

Poland Trade Manual

Hochgeladen von

Dokumentinformationen

Copyright

Verfügbare Formate

Dieses Dokument teilen

Dokument teilen oder einbetten

Freigabeoptionen

Stufen Sie dieses Dokument als nützlich ein?

Sind diese Inhalte unangemessen?

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Poland Trade Manual

Hochgeladen von

Copyright:

Verfügbare Formate

Poland

By the end of this trade manual, you should be able to know:

Poland has accumulated a large and colourful background over

Above is a map of Poland

Poland is a relatively large country. Canada is definitely larger than Poland,

Capital City: Warsaw 14

There are a large amount of Roman Catholic

largest minority groups in Poland are Ukrainians, Germans, and

population has been

The graph above is the population of Poland

staying near the same

Unemployment Rate: The unemployment history of Poland increased

The above is the unemployment rate of Poland.

Time: When it is noon (12p.m.) in Ottawa it is 5p.m. in Poland.25

time zone is Central European Time (GMT + 01:00).26

Poland is doing very well in

The Polish governments debt rating is A2, this

For more information visit page 66

With Polands location in Europe, it shares the common snowstorms, during

average yearly precipitation is near 24 inches, (61 centimeters). The climate

Poland has many occupations for people to become employed in.

following are just a few of them.

Industry: Poland has a large abundance of coal. In Southern Poland, there

and manufacturing industry provides numerous jobs for the people of

Providing jobs such as healthcare and education,

many people find employment in the service industry through the

the leading producers of potatoes and rye. Although agriculture is only 4%

Poland has a stable, democratic government system. The National Assembly

The members of both houses serve

four year terms until the next election.

The Prime Minister is the head of the government, and

The above is the Polish Parliament building in Warsaw.

Imports: Polish trade is dominated by its neighbors and allies in the

Around 60% of Polands imports are from the EU

The chief imports to Poland are

They have 11 refineries in several

countries and have huge profits of

3.070 billion in 2010.41

FSO stands for

Factory for Passenger Automobiles. As

To the left is a photo of the

The UW was established in 1816 and has become

After children complete Elementary, they must complete

Above is a photo of the University of Warsaw.

Polands finest Universities.

Polands environment has been improving in the past several years.

government has been spreading awareness of pollution in Poland, which is

Although during the Second World War Poland

Only 12.4% of Polands land is protected, which can

help some other species who are suffering.52

Poland Welcomes more Chinese Investment:57

China has noticed that Polands GDP

Even though Poland is

hinting for Chinese investment now, they do not expect investments to be

Poland squeezes cash out of state firms:58

One of Polands largest companies, PGE

In the end, Poland is hoping to raise 8

Poland has been furnished with an abundance of non-renewable and

Poland seems to be amongst the largest

Poland has such a large amount,

Polands many resources provide for large amounts of

Vodka was the worlds first luxury vodka as it

They were founded in Krosno,

Poland in 1923 and began to produce glassware in the