Poland Capital Warsaw Currency Zloty PLN Language Polish Population 38.54 million EU status member GDP 2006 $265.4 billion Employment 85.1% Exports $110.7 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) Imports $113.2 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

setting up business Number of days to start business 31 Cost (% of income per capita) 21.4% Nonwage labor cost (% of salary) 21.4% Total tax rate (% profits) 38.4%

 

Poland

Construction is a fast-growing investment sector

Poland is one of the fastest- growing economies in Europe and looks to stay that way for the foreseeable future. Poland’s 2006 GDP growth was in excess of 5% by most estimates and 2007 is set to keep pace. Strong foreign investment, European Union structural and infrastructure funds, excellent industrial growth and falling unemployment are playing key roles in this ongoing success story.

More Growth Ahead

More than $10 billion of foreign direct investment in 2006 helped drive optimism in the market and underlines Poland as an attractive location for funds. Leading consultancies such as KPMG and A.T. Kearney have found that current investors are keen to keep investing and that the market is enjoying a high level of confidence among global decision makers. American investment in Poland continues to rise in a range of highvalue- added sectors. Among the high-profile investments in recent months are new facilities by Colgate- Palmolive in FMCG, a new factory for Dell in information systems and the acquisition of an aerospace site by Sikorsky Aircraft. Long-term US investors continue to see Poland as an excellent location with GM increasing its production at an additional site and AAM beginning production in the country.

The outlook for 2007 and beyond is on solid ground with growth estimates for the year estimated at approximately 5%. Investment growth is again forecast to be in double digits at over 10%, supported by strong domestic demand – again near 5%. Poland has the opportunity to drive the growth engine faster still if it can harness even more of the available EU funds effectively. EU funding will pump nearly R60 billion into Poland between 2007 and 2013.

With its low corporate tax rate of 19%, well educated workforce, prime geographic location and dynamic stock market, Poland is well placed for a sustained period of economic growth. Nearly 40 million consumers complement a robust export sector that will continue to grow as Poland attracts more high-technology and high-value-added manufacturing. Expanding Polish companies are opening new doors to markets such as Ukraine and underscore the positive side of Poland’s location in the heart of the wider European area.

As a business organization, AmCham is a leading voice for continuous improvement through its board and its active working committees in areas such as tax, infrastructure, intellectual property, outsourcing/high tech and real estate. Over 320 member companies are not just successful in their own right, but have the skills and services to help new investors succeed in this exciting market. Explore Poland’s opportunities – and let AmCham and our member firms help your company succeed in this leading growth market.

Tony Housh, AmCham Vice Chairman

 

Why Poland ?

Two of the top American investors in Poland explain the attraction to businesses in widely varying sectors:

Marek Sowa, Vice President, UPC Polska:

As part of Liberty Global, UPC Polska has focused on providing customers with the triple service of video, broadband internet and digital telephony. In all three areas, Poland presents a host of opportunities. On a macro level, it has a solid economic base, with GDP growth at twice the average in Western Europe, and it ranks highly in terms of foreign direct investment and production efficiency. Its long-term prospects are further enhanced by the country’s well-educated, young consumers. You cannot build a convincing pan- European strategy without Central Europe’s most significant market.

Marek Kapu ścińs ki, General Manager, Procter & Gamble Op erations Polska:

During its long history of investment worldwide, P&G has developed a range of criteria which are taken into account in the process of investment decisions. These include: size of market, financial attractiveness of the investment, prospect of stable economic growth of the country in question, regulatory environment and safety of investment. At the beginning of the 1990s, when Poland started its transformation towards a market economy, all the above criteria became realistic. Today, after 15 years of operation, we have invested $190 million at our diaper plant in Warsaw Targówek and e120 million in Łódź (Gillette Manufacturing Centre). The geographical location of Poland and the local culture create an opportunity to make Poland a base for operations on a broader scale. Therefore we have already located an IT management center that serves our global business in Poland.

 

Contact Information

American Chamber of Commerce in Poland
Warsaw Financial Center,
ul Emilii Plater 53
00-113 Warsaw
Poland
Tel: +48 22 520 5999
E-mail: office@amcham.com.pl
Wubsite: www.amcham.com.pl

 

Useful websites

warsaw.usembassy.gov	US Embassy in Poland
www.paiz.gov.pl	Polish Information & Foreign Investment Agency — includes information on immigration and business laws
www.investinpoland.pl	More detailed investment information
www.usinfo.pl/usinvestment	Map showing location of major US investments in Poland
www.stat.gov.pl/english	National Institute of Statistics
www.worldbank.org.pl	World Bank summary of Polish development

 

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