ABSTRACT
Since the transformation of the 1990s German companies have invested more than €30 billion in Poland. By contrast, Polish foreign direct investment in Germany is just at a level of around €2 billion. In the light of these figures, can one speak of ‘(a)symmetry in economic relations’? This chapter aims to address this question by examining how the three categories of interdependence, historical legacy and asymmetry impact the foreign trade and FDI. As foreign trade statistics demonstrate, the two economies depend on each other as never before. According to preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office, German–Polish trade in goods reached a new high of €118 billion in total sales in 2018. Thus, this chapter examines whether the historical term ‘Polish economy’ has already turned from having negative to positive connotations. Nevertheless, the question of asymmetry in the field of FDI remains significant, but in the case of the common market it might function as an advantage for both sides.
