East cross-border trade on the rise

In 2014, foreigners from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus spent in frontier stores and restaurants 18 percent more than a year before, which corresponds to over PLN 9.6 billion in total, Dziennika Gazeta Prawna reported. Ukrainians bought services and goods for nearly PLN 5.7 billion, by 23 percent more than in 2013. Belorussians spent in Polish frontier towns and cities over PLN 3.1 billion, a 4.3 percent increase compared with 2013.  Russian customers spent the least, over PLN 840 million, a growth of 44.2 percent year-on-year.

The value of purchases made by foreigners from the above countries accounts for 12 percent of retail sales of Polish frontier voivodeships, the daily also informed.