Poland gives cosmetics industry a makeover

photo: SXC

Currently, Poland is the sixth largest exporter of cosmetics from the EU.

However, speaking at a conference on Friday to inaugurate the programme, Deputy Minister of the Economy Ilona Antoniszyn-Klik claimed that Polish companies often downplay their origins.

"It often happens that companies will not admit that they are Polish,” she said.

“We want to change that, we want them to present themselves as Polish brands, and this programme will provide such an opportunity,” she added.

According to the deputy minister, the most promising markets for development are China, Brazil, the USA, Russia, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

“Over the next three years we will try to show the image of a strong Polish cosmetics industry in these markets,” she said.

Currently, Russia, the UK and Germany import the most Polish cosmetics, and figures from 2010 put the overall value of exports that year at 0.78 billion euro (2.1 billion zloty).

The cosmetics industry was one of 15 chosen by the ministry as ripe for promotion abroad.The budget for the cosmetics programme is about 10 million zloty (2.4 million euro). (nh)