In the fourth quarter, Polish furniture exports increased by 2% to €3.623bn. Deliveries to Germany (+2% to €1.260bn), the most important market in terms of export volumes, increased at the same rate. According to Eurostat, exports to the two next-ranked countries, Czech Republic and France, increased at a more significant rate of 14% in each case, to €278.5m and €254.3m respectively. Exports to Great Britain and Sweden, by contrast, declined by 5% compared to the corresponding period in the preceding year in each case to €241.9m and €115.5m respectively. For the year as a whole, Polish furniture exports increased by 8% to €14.438bn. Following increases of 15% in the first quarter and 11% in the second, growth had already slowed to 5% in the third quarter.
Polish furniture imports increased by 7% to €3.774bn last year. For the fourth quarter, however, Eurostat reports a decline of 6% to €900.5m. This was mainly due to declines concerning imports from China (-28% to €220.4m) and Ukraine (-23% to €42.5m). Imports from Italy (-6% to €51.3m) also decreased. Imports from Germany, by contrast, rose by 2% compared to the corresponding period in the preceding year to €201.0m.
