Foreigners buy goods worth billions in Poland

In Q1 of 2014 the foreigners gave out PLN 7.7 billion, says the Statistical Office in Rzeszów. Most of the money was spent by Germans (53 percent). Other nations were Ukrainians (16.9 percent), Czechs (6.3 percent), Slovaks 5.5 (percent), Russians (3.5 percent) and Lithuanians (3.5 percent). Guests coming from the EU were most interested in fuel (25 percent), the reason being its relatively low price in comparison to other EU countries. Cigarettes were the product most often bought by Germans (20 percent of all product interest). Poland’s eastern neighbors most frequently bought construction materials, white goods and car accessories, clothing and cleaning supplies. In total, in Q1 of 2014 they spent PLN 2.1 billion, that is 25 percent more than in the same period of 2013. Eastern countries, including Ukraine or Russia take advantage of the local border permit. It allows them to reach as far as 50 km into Polish borders without a visa, Kamil Cisowski, Bank PKO BP economist, told Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. Poland’s southern neighbors buy mostly fuel, cigarettes, food and pay for barber services.