The Spanish government launches the ICEX plan to address tariffs and moves away from direct aid.

BarcelonaEconomy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said this Monday that, for now, there is no "significant impact" from the new tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, so he rules out, for the moment, the possibility of the State approving direct aid measures for businesses. "Right now, we are not yet seeing any significant impact in the aggregate data," the Economy Minister stated at the press conference following the sectoral conference to monitor the tariff situation with the autonomous communities.

In fact, the figures are positive. Foreign trade data for March, released this Monday, reflect an 8.5% year-on-year increase in exports. "When we compare ourselves with the other major European economies, we have a better relative figure," Cuerpo indicated.

In this regard, this Monday the minister announced the launch of the ICEX High Impact on Competitiveness Plan, designed to help Spanish exporting companies address the tariff conflict and boost their competitiveness. This is not a direct aid plan; rather, the Spanish government's objective is to help companies withstand the impact and seek alternative markets to export to, "through informational outreach activities and, above all, personalized and individualized advice," the minister explained.

According to a survey conducted by ICEX—a public company whose mission is to promote the internationalization of Spanish companies and foreign investment—one of the main concerns of Spanish exporting companies is trying to find alternative markets to the United States. Thus, the Executive has decided to promote this plan, which includes personalized and periodic advisory measures for approximately 500 companies, representing 77% of total Spanish exports to the United States.

Measures and actions

The immediate measures will focus on providing information and trade intelligence. In this first phase, the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Enterprise, through ICEX, will launch a personalized support plan for the 500 Spanish companies with the highest volume of exports to the United States. Each company will receive regular monitoring and tailored advice. In addition, information will be provided on market diversification, leveraging existing trade agreements (Mercosur, Mexico), cultural and linguistic proximity, and the potential of the European single market.

In the medium term, the plan includes boosting Spain's image abroad through an international positioning campaign in key markets, promoted jointly with other public agencies. The Brand and Innovation program will be launched, training more than 250 CEOs, primarily from SMEs, in corporate differentiation strategies each year.

In addition, three programs aimed at business growth will be launched: one to promote open innovation in 200 medium-sized companies each year, another to provide 700 SMEs with an official rating and advice on intangibles management, and a third to accelerate the growth of 200 start-ups Through mentoring, a personalized service will also be provided to strengthen value chains, and a new ICEX Invest in Spain program will be activated to connect 100 foreign investors with Spanish SMEs to promote the integration of Spanish SMEs into global value chains as strategic suppliers, taking advantage of our country's position.