- The share of agri-food exports in the value of all Polish exports increased slightly – from 14.4% in the first quarter of 2023 to 14.6% in the same period of 2024 – reports the National Support Centre for Agriculture.
- Entrepreneurs should know the procedures to export and import agri-food products without disruptions.
- The lack of appropriate documents extends the customs clearance time and therefore the delivery of goods.
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According to the National Support Centre for Agriculture, in the first quarter of this year the value of exports of agri-food products from Poland amounted to EUR 12.7 billion (PLN 55 billion) and was 3 percent lower than in the same period of 2023. Imports of agri-food products to Poland amounted to EUR 8.6 billion (PLN 37 billion) and was 1 percent lower than a year ago.
Knowledge of procedures and regulations
Agri-food products are exported from Poland primarily to the European Union market. Poland's main trading partners remain Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and the Czech Republic. From non-EU countries, these include: Great Britain, Ukraine, and the United States.
– It should be borne in mind that the regulations are common to the entire EU, but their implementation into national regulations varies. That is why it is so important to know the procedures, which are even more complicated in the case of third countries. The standard is that original documents must be presented each time, and all certificates must be notarized – says Joanna Porath, owner of the AC Porath Customs Agency.
Food product inspection
Imports from third countries, e.g. from Asia, Africa or South America, involve additional customs formalities.
– The first step that should be taken to ensure efficient handling and collection of a container with cargo is to establish the customs code, required certificates and attestations, e.g. CITES certificate for dried vegetables/fruits or certificate of non-manipulation for LCL general cargo. Importers must take into account sanitary control at the border, and thus extended customs processing time. For this reason, additional fees may apply related to the inspection or storage of the container after the free time – says Magdalena Bielawska, Managing Director of ECU Worldwide POLSKA Sp. z oo
Before customs clearance, food products may also be subject to certain inspections, including those carried out by the State Plant Protection and Seed Inspectorate, the Provincial Inspectorate of Trade Quality of Agricultural and Food Products, the Border Sanitary and Epidemiological Station or the State Veterinary Inspectorate.
– If it results from the customs code, the goods should be reported for inspection by the appropriate institution. It can take place physically or there is a possibility of withdrawal. In each case, a decision is issued. This document is attached to the customs clearance. Inspections extend the clearance time and, consequently, delay the delivery of the goods – adds Joanna Porath.
Certificate of origin of goods
A separate issue is the certificate of origin of the goods. Determining which country a given product comes from is based on customs regulations. According to them, the country of origin is the one in which the goods were obtained in their entirety, e.g.: collected, bred, born, hunted or caught. In a situation where a food product is produced in more than one country, determining its origin, the country of origin should be determined in accordance with the guidelines, and these guidelines may have different regulations for each product.
– Food companies must know exactly how to correctly determine the origin of a product in order to pass every customs clearance without any problems. Incorrect declaration of the country of origin of the goods may result in the imposition of penalties, in accordance with the Penal and Fiscal Code – explains Joanna Porath.
