Poland

Poland graduated from USAID assistance in 2000 and capitalized on its successful transition experience to become a provider of assistance to other countries in the region. For example, Poland has been a regional leader in partnering with the United States through the Emerging Donors Challenge Program (EDCP) – a program overseen by the Office of the Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia. Through the EDCP initiative, the United States builds partnerships with donor nations like Poland by co-financing joint foreign assistance activities, especially in EU Eastern Partnership countries. The U.S. Government-financed Polish-American Enterprise Fund was a major investor in private Polish companies in the 1990s. The Polish-American Freedom Foundation continues this legacy by investing in training and education in Poland. Poland is active in the EU’s Eastern Partnership and spearheaded the launch of the European Endowment for Democracy.

Relatively strong economic growth, a large domestic market, tariff-free access to the European Union (EU), political stability, and a relatively low-cost well-educated workforce are prime reasons that U.S. companies do business in Poland. Opportunities for trade and investment have attracted foreign investors into all sectors, and the United States is Poland’s top non-EU investor. in 2020, U.S. goods imports from Poland totaled $8.3 billion. As an EU member, Poland applies the EU’s common external tariff to goods from other countries, including the United States. The United States and Poland have signed a double taxation treaty, an agreement pursuant to the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), and a bilateral treaty on business and economic relations which includes an investor-state dispute mechanism. The United States and Poland have a robust Science and Technology (S&T) relationship, and cooperate under a bilateral S&T Agreement.