The business of commercial sections
With its large industrial base, strategic location and sizable population, the number of Western companies expressing interest in doing business in Poland is on the upswing, according to commercial sections at several of the larger embassies in Warsaw. Twenty of the 39 embassies that answered the Warsaw Business Journal's questionnaire maintain special trade and commercial sections. Many of those sections are not older than five years old.
The British Embassy's commercial section is affiliated with the Department of Trade and Industry in the U.K. Like most other trade promotion divisions, the commercial sections serves British companies seeking to enter the Polish market. It charges a fee for services, starting at $45 per hour. Its Market Information Enquiry Service (MIES) prepares custom reports in the United Kingdom for firms considering doing business in Poland.
Firms which have ordered written reports may decide to turn to the commercial section for another service - Programme Arranging Service (PAS), which sets up appointments and makes recommendations on travel plans within Poland. The commercial section also works closely with the British Chamber of Commerce, maintains a library of commercial reference books and makes the Corbett Room available - again for a fee - for seminars and conferences. In addition, the commercial section hosts a monthly social event for British businesses.
Roger Hazleton, assistant commercial secretary, says his agency provided some $32,000 worth of reporting services to British firms interested in the Polish market last year.
Linda McDonald, commercial counselor at the Canadian Embassy, reports an increase in inquiries about entering the Polish market from all over Canada.
The Canadian Embassy does not charge for its services, and the Export Development Corporation offers financial assistance to qualified firms interested in bringing Canadian goods or services to Poland.
The United States has the largest embassy in Warsaw, with a staff of 544, and, like the British embassy group, its commercial section charges fees for services.
The U.S. commercial section, affiliated with the Department of Commerce (DOC), targets small and medium-sized U.S. companies to help them export goods and services. The Warsaw office works closely with DOC offices in 65 major U.S. cities and provides a wide range of services. Poland is one of 10 emerging markets selected by DOC as especially promising for American exports.
Working closely with the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, the commercial section can help pair up U.S. exporters with potential customers, end-users and partners in Poland. The embassy's economic section, not part of the commercial section, provides statistical and market analysis information - also for a fee. Polish firms seeking American products and services do not have to pay for these services.
The British Embassy's commercial section is affiliated with the Department of Trade and Industry in the U.K. Like most other trade promotion divisions, the commercial sections serves British companies seeking to enter the Polish market. It charges a fee for services, starting at $45 per hour. Its Market Information Enquiry Service (MIES) prepares custom reports in the United Kingdom for firms considering doing business in Poland.
Firms which have ordered written reports may decide to turn to the commercial section for another service - Programme Arranging Service (PAS), which sets up appointments and makes recommendations on travel plans within Poland. The commercial section also works closely with the British Chamber of Commerce, maintains a library of commercial reference books and makes the Corbett Room available - again for a fee - for seminars and conferences. In addition, the commercial section hosts a monthly social event for British businesses.
Roger Hazleton, assistant commercial secretary, says his agency provided some $32,000 worth of reporting services to British firms interested in the Polish market last year.
Linda McDonald, commercial counselor at the Canadian Embassy, reports an increase in inquiries about entering the Polish market from all over Canada.
The Canadian Embassy does not charge for its services, and the Export Development Corporation offers financial assistance to qualified firms interested in bringing Canadian goods or services to Poland.
The United States has the largest embassy in Warsaw, with a staff of 544, and, like the British embassy group, its commercial section charges fees for services.
The U.S. commercial section, affiliated with the Department of Commerce (DOC), targets small and medium-sized U.S. companies to help them export goods and services. The Warsaw office works closely with DOC offices in 65 major U.S. cities and provides a wide range of services. Poland is one of 10 emerging markets selected by DOC as especially promising for American exports.
Working closely with the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, the commercial section can help pair up U.S. exporters with potential customers, end-users and partners in Poland. The embassy's economic section, not part of the commercial section, provides statistical and market analysis information - also for a fee. Polish firms seeking American products and services do not have to pay for these services.
