Elisa Carbonell, CEO of ICEX | The global geopolitical situation has been complex for several years now: with the Covid-19 pandemic, global supply chains were put to the test, and since then, various events of different natures have occurred that are having implications for international trade.
Despite this, Spanish merchandise exports have performed well in recent years: Spanish companies have been able to maintain and even increase their global market share within the European Union. Thus, Spanish merchandise exports grew by 42% in value between 2019 and 2023 despite the pandemic, and by 14% in value during Trump’s first term, during which tariffs were also imposed that significantly affected Spanish products such as olives.
Therefore, despite the current uncertainty and complexities, we at ICEX are confident in the Spanish foreign sector, which is mature and sophisticated, diversified both in terms of sectors and destination markets, and has already demonstrated significant resilience in the face of various crises. In fact, although Europe remains the main destination for our exports, since 2019 there has been an increase in merchandise exports not only to Europe but also to America and Oceania, with Spanish companies growing in markets alternative to European and North American ones (for example, Turkey or Mexico).
Nevertheless, at ICEX we continue to work to provide companies with services that best meet their current needs and we continue to recommend a diversification strategy in light of new circumstances both in the United States and other parts of the world.
