The Polish food products on the foreign markets

The purpose of the article is to present the position of Polish food products on the foreign markets in the years 20042018 in comparison to the background of the EU countries. Research methods. In the research process were used such methods as: abstract and logical, system analysis with using the mathematic methodology, induction and deduction. Research results. Poland's accession to the EU fundamentally changed economic conditions for the operation of Polish food producers. Poland gained free access to large and developed European market, which is one of the most demanding agri-food markets in the world. Export has become an important channel for managing food surplus, and thus it constitutes an important source of revenue for the national food industry. The share of exports of agri-food products in Polish exports in 2018 worth 13.3% and imports is 8.7%. Another measure of the importance of providing food economy is also a proportion of the exports value in the production value, which for the agri-food sector in 2018 amounted above 40%, compared to an index of 13.7% before the accession to the EU. For years, the foreign trade in agri-food products has been an important part of Polish foreign trade. Over the entire period of Poland’s membership in the European Union, the value of agri-food export has increased more than five times, to nearly EUR 30 billion, and of import – four times, to nearly EUR 20 billion, while the trade balance has increased as many as eleven times, to EUR 9.6 billion. Such rapid development of foreign trade is undoubtedly the result of Poland's accession to the EU and the abolition of restrictions on trade with other member states, which has allowed disclosing comparative advantages of Polish food producers. Elements of scientific novelty. Scientific novelty of the article lies in the revealing of development of the foreign trade in food products in condition of the European Union integration and globalization. Practical significance. The research results can be used by the food sector, operators and agricultural enterprises of the EU and Ukraine. Tabl.: 1. Figs.: 5. Refs.: 8.