In the first half of 2020, the value of face mask imports to the EU amounted to €14 billion, compared to €800 million a year earlier, which means an increase by as much as 1800 percent. In terms of the value of imported masks, Germany and France outclass the rest of the rate. Poland took eighth place in the ranking, bringing in masks worth €289 million in the first half of this year.

However, when calculated per capita, the ranking is completely different and Poland ends up at the end of the ranking. It turns out that in the first half of 2020, we imported protective masks worth €8 per capita.

This puts our country fifth from the bottom, slightly ahead of Sweden (which is famous for its original approach to fighting the pandemic and did not introduce a lockdown) and Croatia. Both countries imported masks worth €7 per capita. We also overtook the penultimate Greece and the last Bulgaria, which spent just €3 per inhabitant on protective masks.

The data show that Luxembourg had by far the highest import of masks per capita at €121 per person.

At the same time, an analysis of the export and import of all Covid-19 related products in European countries shows that Poland was fourth last in terms of imports and sixth last in terms of exports of Covid-19 related products. As much as 92 percent of all masks ordered by Europe in the first half of 2020 came from China.

(300gospodarka)