Basing on GUS (Polish Central Statistic Office) data, financial Institution Akcenta, prepared the list of the most unusual goods exported by Polish companies. It turns out that Poland is a real export player regarding… playing cards. Last year, playing cards were one of the bestsellers in Polish foreign trade to the 28 Member States of the European Union. They were very popular in France. The French bought nearly 300,000 kg of playing cards for over PLN 5m. The total value of Polish playing cards sold abroad in 2014 reached PLN 26m. This is almost as much as the entire Polish export to Venezuela!
To add more, over 565,000 pieces of artificial teeth were sold to Moldova, Azerbaijan, Georgia, but also to French Polynesia. On the other hand, Polish companies earned more than PLN 1.4m for selling decorative world globes mostly to Russia. Poland earned much by selling ‘beards, eyebrows, eyelashes, braids. The total value of export of such items was estimates by GUS for PLN 661,646. Beards, eyebrows, eyelashes and braids made in Poland are popular among Scandinavians, especially Norwegians and Finns. In 2014, both nations bought more than a thousand kilos of these products, each.
Not only Poles sell slightly unusual things but they are also increasingly interested in buying unique products. According to the data provided by Akcenta, the list of top Polish import blockbusters includes: exotic reptiles and bristles or hair of wild boars, pigs, and badgers bought from China, the Netherlands, Spain and Germany (for brush making). “Customers serviced by Akcenta operate mainly in the SME sector. These companies are usually good in fining market niches. For example, we cooperate with customers, that buy coffins, garbage for recycling or bumblebees”, says Radosław Jarema, the head of Akcenta.
Except from above mentioned goods, which can be perceived as unusual products, Poland imports very important everyday products. One of them is a toilet paper. Last year, Poland bought nearly 30.5m kg of toilet paper worth PLN 171.5m. One would be surprised to hear that among the biggest suppliers of toilet paper there are such distant countries as: Israel (355.800kg) Australia and Mexico.
Source: Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency
Photo © Anna Karahan