Trump's tariffs have affected 2.9% of all Catalan exports worldwide

BarcelonaTariffs on European products imposed by US President Donald Trump have affected 2.9% of Catalan exports abroad, according to data published Tuesday by Acció, the Catalan government's foreign trade promotion agency. Exemptions to the trade tariffs agreed upon between US and European Union authorities have allowed a third of Catalan products sold in the US market to remain duty-free. According to calculations, of the €4.35 billion exported from Catalonia to the US, approximately €1.43 billion—or 33% of the total—remain tariff-free. Conversely, the remaining €2.92 billion "were subject to the tariffs" imposed by Trump, according to a statement from Acció. Compared to total Catalan exports outside of Spain, this latter figure represents 2.9% of the total exports by Catalan companies abroad. The effect of the tariffs, however, has been limited. In fact, Catalan exports to the US between January and October of last year fell by 1.9% compared to the same period in 2014. "The products most affected, for the moment, have been perfumes and cosmetics, jewelry, iron and steel manufactures, clothing, motorcycles, and meat," Acció adds in its statement.

The reduction in trade with the American giant contrasts sharply with the years prior to Trump's return to the White House – the magnate took office as president on January 20, 2025. During Joe Biden's presidency, between 2020 and 2024, sales of Catalan products in the United States skyrocketed by 80%. Thus, the United States "consolidated" its position, according to Acció, as Catalonia's fifth largest trading partner and its largest outside of Europe, surpassed only by France, Germany, Italy, and Portugal, and even exceeding the United Kingdom, which has suffered the effects of Brexit. Following his reelection, Trump has made tariffs on third countries one of the main weapons of his foreign policy. The US president's narrative is that the US is the victim of economic abuse by most countries in the world, but especially China and the EU, which is reflected in the large trade deficit – meaning it imports more than it exports – that it maintains with other countries. This view ignores the fact that the trade deficit in physical goods (especially manufactured goods) is partially offset by the strong export surplus the US has in the services sector, thanks to the strength of industries such as telecommunications, film, and finance. With this rhetoric, the White House has been increasing tariffs on goods imported into the US from most countries over the past year. Finally, last July, Trump concluded a meeting with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, an agreement that imposed a general tariff of 15% (with higher and lower exceptions for some sectors) on EU products sold in the US, while Brussels agreed to leave it at 0% for US products. Now this agreement seems destined to be worthless, as European countries are unwilling to implement it following Washington's threats to annex the Danish territory of Greenland and the increase, in just six EU countries,an additional fee of 10% as retaliation for sending troops to this Arctic island.

In total, the Catalan government allocated €33.2 million "in direct aid for internationalization to address the tariff crisis during 2025," channeled through Acció, and distributed among 996 companies across five different support programs. Acció has also organized information sessions on tariffs and provided individualized support to Catalan companies already present in the US market, among other measures.

More exports and a larger trade deficit in Spain

Apart from the figures from Acción, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry published on Tuesday the data for Spain's foreign trade between January and November of last year. According to the data, the country's trade deficit increased even further, reaching €51.481 billion in the first eleven months of 2024, 42.4% more than in the same period of 2024. This puts the coverage ratio (the total value of imports covered by exports) at 87%. However, Spanish exports reached a record high of €356.931 billion, 0.6% more than between January and November of 2024. Imports, however, increased even more, by 4.5% year-on-year, to €408.412 billion.