page_title: Economy of Białystok
section_title: International trade
hierarchical_section_title: Economy of Białystok / International trade
context_page_description: In the 19th century Białystok was an important center for light industry and was the reason for the substantial growth of the city's population. The tradition continued with many garment factories established in the 20th century, such as Fasty in the district of Bacieczki. However, after the fall of communism in 1989 many of these factories faced severe problems and subsequently closed down.
  Employment
  The unemployment rate for February 2011 in Białystok was 13.2%.
  Household budgets
  The 2009 average household had a monthly per capita income of 1018.77 zł and monthly per capita expenses of 823.56 zł
  Industry
  The leading industries in the city's economy are: food processing, electrical engineering. There is also a developed machine industry, plastic processing, textiles, Wood building materials.
  Some notable major employers who are based in Białystok include:
  Dojlidy Brewery in the district of Dojlidy produces the second most popular beer in Poland, Zubr.
  Polmos Białystok, the biggest vodka manufacturer in Poland, is located in the city district of Starosielce. The company produces Absolwent and Żubrówka - both major exports abroad.
context_section_description: The city lies close to the Polish border with Lithuania and Belarus, with the nearest border checkpoint with Belarus in Bobrowniki only 40 km (25 mi) away. Since the border with Belarus is also the eastern border of the European Union, as well as the Schengen Area, Białystok plays an important role in managing the border's security with the regional office of the Polish Border Guard, (Polish: Straż Graniczna) located in the city.
  The city is a center for trade in mainly from the east. It works in the Eastern Market Promotion Centre. Białystok Market hosts international textiles and clothing, food processing, consumer goods, agricultural products, and food.
caption: Białystok seen from SPOT satellite
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