We start with an unexpected Christmas gift that Polish exporters received yesterday from the British government and the European Commission. A deal has been reached which means that there will be no Brexit without a post brexit trade agreement. It was an important issue for Poland as trade with the United Kingdom accounts for 6% of the country’s exports.
The total trade between Poland and the UK is worth more than 80 billion Polish Zlotys, with more than three quarters of that sum being Polish exports, making a surplus of over 40 billion Polish Zlotys.
The UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that the trade deal is “Canada-style” and worth 660 billion Pounds. He also commented on the included provisions on fishing rights, saying that the UK had taken back “full control” of its waters.
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the agreement is fair and balanced.
The Polish Secretary of State for European Affairs, Konrad Szymanski, emphasized that the agreement covers producers of both industrial and agricultural goods, and provides for special facilitation of trade for the automotive sector, pharmaceuticals or organic agricultural products. It will also make business easier for the transport sector, which is particularly important for Poland. Carriers will have unlimited point-to-point access between the EU and the UK and full transit rights through each other’s territories. Cabotage operations will also be possible to a limited extent.