STABILIZING ROLE OF FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN EFFECTING EXPORTS – CASE STUDY OF POLAND

The article raises the issue of the relations between foreign direct investment and exports, quoting the example of Poland. Most of the research done so far raises the issue of substitutability and complementarity of these phenomena. In their research of macroeconomic nature, authors such as Stehn, Stępniak and Markusen (Stępniak, 2005; Markusen et al, 1996) have proved that definitely in most cases we are dealing with complementarity of FDI in relation to foreign trade of the countries. Using the most up-to-date research regarding foreign investment (Melitz, 2003; Krugman), in this article I am trying to present FDI as that element of economic life that stabilizes exports, taking into account today’s context related to the economic crisis. Referring already in the first part to the research done also in Poland by the National Bank of Poland, I have presented FDI as a factor maintaining Poland’s exports on a high level despite temporary capital outflow. The inflow of capital in the form of FDI to Poland is done in particular by companies from developed countries that are first of all looking for a location to move their own operations and reduce costs. Secondly, Poland is attractive as a location because of the availability of large markets. On the one hand, by operating in Poland, being an EU member, they get access to the EU internal market, while on the other they get close to the Russian market. Consequently, in their strategy for internationalizing their operations, investors making a capital involvement are planning to carry out their export operations dynamically.