Foreign Trade in the Oil Sector Following Poland’s Accession to European Union

Purpose: Foreign trade is one of the basic factors in the economic development of countries, and the inclusion of Poland in the Single European Market and the consequent full opening of markets and obtaining freedom of trade with the countries of the enlarged European Union were decisive for the development of exports of Polish agri-food products, including oil products. The aim of this study was to analyse and evaluate changes in foreign trade in oil products over the two decades following Poland's accession to the European Union. Design/Methodology/Approach: Basic measures of descriptive statistics (indicators of structure and dynamics) and selected quantitative measures of trade competitiveness were used to identify the most important trends occurring in production and trade in the oil sector. Findings: Following accession, Poland regained its position as an important exporter of rapeseed, became a major exporter of rapeseed oil, and developed export in rapeseed meal and margarines. Export revenue from oil products in 2019-2023, compared to the last pre-accession five-year period, increased eightfold, with a similar increase for import expenditure. Despite the dynamic growth of exports, Poland, similar to the European Union as a whole, remains a persistently large net importer of oil products, although the negative balance of trade is worsening, due to limited opportunities for the development of oilseed crop production, with rapidly growing domestic demand for vegetable oils (especially from the biofuel sector) and high-protein feed. Practical Implications: In recent years, the high competitiveness of Polish oilseed products in the European Union market has been declining (this applies mostly to rapeseed oil and rapeseed), which became their main market after accession. Originality/Value: The analysis of changes and the assessment of the competitiveness of foreign trade is of great importance for companies in the oil sector in the context of making strategic decisions.