The Road to Trade Winds Europe/Eurasia: Warsaw, Poland

January 23, 2024

James Lindley is the Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw

This is the third post in a blog series about the different markets that will be featured during Trade Winds Europe/Eurasia.

In just under four months, the U.S. government’s largest annual trade mission, Trade Winds, is heading to Europe and Eurasia! Bringing numerous innovative U.S. businesses to six European and Eurasian markets—including an optional stop in Warsaw, Poland—Trade Winds Europe/Eurasia will feature tailored meeting and networking opportunities with foreign buyers, investors and distributors to help U.S. businesses capitalize on export opportunities abroad.

If your business is looking for a large export market, tariff-free access to the EU, political stability and a well-educated workforce, opportunities abound in Poland. A stalwart ally in Central Europe and the sixth largest economy in Europe, Poland offers U.S. companies numerous opportunities for growth across an array of sectors, including defense, energy, digital and ICT, transportation infrastructure and environmental technologies.  

A North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member since 1999, Poland has surpassed its commitment to spend at least two percent of GDP on defense. According to recent NATO data, Poland was well on its way to exceeding four percent of GDP on annual defense spending in 2023. As such, U.S. businesses in the defense sector are well positioned to succeed in Poland given our close relationship on NATO capabilities, counterterrorism, nonproliferation, and missile defense. 

Companies in the energy and clean tech sectors will also find opportunities in Poland. Last year, Poland selected Westinghouse and Bechtel to build the country’s first-ever civil nuclear power plant, an investment that could eventually top $40 billion. That said, the civil nuclear sector is by no means the only energy sector in Poland poised to grow in the coming years. Poland also seeks to increase its energy independence and diversify away from coal to meet its domestic and EU climate goals, presenting opportunities for companies in the offshore wind, solar and hydrogen sectors.

Poland also aims to implement a digitization strategy to modernize its digital infrastructure and to defend itself against cybercrime incidents, which have been increasing since Russia began its unlawful invasion of Ukraine. Given the U.S. private sector’s leadership and innovation in the information communication technologies (ICT) and cybersecurity sectors, U.S. companies can play a leading role in providing the technical products and solutions to meet Poland’s digitization and cybersecurity goals.

Poland has also been, and will continue to be, a key player in supporting Ukraine’s recovery, particularly as it relates to infrastructure. Most aid dispatched to Ukraine travels through Poland. Therefore, collaboration with Polish companies and building supply chains through Poland will be critical to supporting Ukraine’s longer-term recovery.  

For all these reasons and more, it is no surprise that the International Trade Administration selected Poland as one of the stops during Trade Winds Europe/Eurasia, which will take place between May 16-17, 2024. For more information and registration for Trade Winds or the optional business-to-business matchmaking meetings in Poland, Türkiye, Italy, Romania, Denmark and/or Kazakhstan, please visit the Trade Winds Europe/Eurasia webpage.