Evolution of Poland’s Trade and Contractual Relations with the EEC Countries in the Period 1960–1990

Abstract

The article analyzes the successive stages of Poland’s commercial and contractual relations with the EEC (European Economic Community) countries since the establishment of this organization. Poland’s relations with the EEC in the 1960s and 1970s were strongly influenced by political factors. Economic conditions played a less important role. There were strong restrictions in the East-West trade, including strategic export restrictions, credit restrictions, and EEC quantitative restrictions on imports from socialist countries. Polish contacts with the EEC, known as the official-technical ones, began in 1964. In the trade of the Community, Poland played a historically insignificant role and had no significant importance for the EEC. The share of Poland in the global imports of the Community countries in 1988 was only 0.23%. After the signing of a trade agreement between Poland and the European Community in 1989, the Polish government made efforts to establish maximum cooperation with the EEC.