Catalan exports closed 2025 with a record high of €100.779 billion, 0.6% more than the previous year, according to data published this Thursday by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Donald Trump's tariffs and the ensuing trade war, sales abroad have exceeded €100 billion for the third consecutive year. As for purchases, imports totaled €114.3598 billion, a 3.3% increase. Therefore, Catalonia's trade balance last year was -€13.5812 billion. Despite the new international landscape marked by increased protectionism, this is the third consecutive year that Catalan exports have surpassed €100 billion. According to calculations by Accion – the Catalan government's competitiveness agency – exports to the United States have fallen by 3.4% in 2025, while the diversification of Catalan companies in countries such as South Korea (+25.2%), China (+13.7%), and India (+4.4%) stands out. Accion has highlighted that the growth in exports in 2025 is due to the reorientation of exports to Asia (+7.6%), Africa (+12.5%), and the Middle East (+15.3%). Conversely, declines were recorded in Latin America (-14%) and North America (-2.2%), while exports remained stable in the European Union (+0.8%). According to the Minister of Business and Labor, Miquel Sàmper, these results demonstrate "the resilience and diversification capacity of Catalan companies in an adverse, uncertain, and complex global environment." "The fact that Catalonia has once again surpassed €100 billion in exports in this context demonstrates the international strength of our business sector and highlights its ability to continue opening doors when others close," he stated. The Minister of Business and Labor also emphasized "the Government's efforts to support Catalan businesses in this new environment through the 'We Respond' Plan and the Action instruments." In this regard, he announced that the network of 40 Action Foreign Trade and Investment Offices worldwide has worked on nearly 3,000 internationalization projects for Catalan companies, 17% more than in 2024. He also noted that the Government has designed a new strategy for 2026-2030. Developed through an unprecedented participatory process involving over 110 companies and organizations, the plan aims to attract 2,000 new exporting companies, reach 19,000 regular exporters (those exporting for four consecutive years), and increase the number of Catalan companies with subsidiaries to 3,500. By sector, semi-manufactured goods exports continue to dominate, accounting for more than a third of last year's sales. The chemical sector stands out, with €29.73 billion in foreign sales, representing 29.5% of all Catalan exports, but a 2.8% decrease compared to the previous year. The second largest export sector was capital goods, with almost €16.73 billion, representing 16.6% of the total and a 9.7% increase compared to 2014. The food, beverage, and tobacco sector rounded out the top three, with exports totaling almost €16.203 billion the previous year.

The Spanish government has proposed strengthening controls on imports and e-commerce packages from Amazon, Shein, and Temu valued at up to €150. These are some of the measures that Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo presented to representatives of the 17 autonomous communities at the Interterritorial Council for Internationalization meeting, held at the Pedralbes Palace in Barcelona. Given the context of US tariff policies under Donald Trump, with imports, like exports, on the rise, and although border controls are effective and thorough, "a further step is necessary regarding industrial products to guarantee competition and consumer protection," he explained at a press conference alongside Catalan Minister Sámper. This plan, developed in coordination with the autonomous communities, aims to ensure that there are no "weak points" for the entry of products that do not meet European requirements. Therefore, they are also working in coordination with the European Commission. The intention is to expand the list of industrial products, working in conjunction with the sectors involved. And greater control over small packages, up to 150 euros, which were previously exempt from tariffs and duties, but are now not. The goal, he said, is "to ensure they compete on a level playing field with domestic products and with guarantees of consumer protection." This is especially focused on textiles, footwear, and toys. The Minister explained that a working group will be created with e-commerce platforms, such as Amazon and Shein, to address the safety of the products they sell and the creation of an early warning system in coordination with the regional governments to anticipate risks or fraud that could affect businesses. The idea, as the Minister explained to ARA, is to follow the approach used with financial institutions to prevent the closure of bank branches in rural areas and to improve services for the elderly; that is, through the involvement of the sector, rather than through mandatory regulations and laws. The Minister of Economy has announced that the foreign trade data to be published this Thursday will reflect, in terms of exports, "one of the best years in history," despite the challenges in the international arena. It is within this context of strong growth in the foreign trade sector that he has framed the measures to protect sectors and consumers from industrial products that do not comply with European regulations. For his part, Sàmper has stated that the Catalan government's plans for 2026-2030 aim to add approximately 2,000 more exporting companies to the 18,000 that currently export regularly by the end of the period. These companies will each sell to at least five countries for a minimum value of 5 million euros. Therefore, 30 million euros in aid has been allocated to 1,000 companies. The regional minister has stated that US tariff policies have affected Catalan exports to the US worth approximately €2 billion, representing 67% of total exports. This is all being done under the umbrella of diversification: exports to China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and other countries.

According to a study, 96% of the cost of tariffs on foreign exports to the United States is paid by American businesses and consumers. think tank German Kiel Institute. This means that 192 billion of the additional 200 billion dollars (163.6 billion and 170.4 billion euros, respectively) that were to be collected in 2025 in trade tariffs at US customs have ended up being a transfer of money from American citizens to their federal government.

The import of cars, especially those from China, is driving freight traffic at the Port of Barcelona, ​​which closed the first 10 months of the year with a 4.6% increase compared to the same period in 2014. This data consolidates the growth that began in September. This trend is due to the sharp increase in imports, which have risen by 35.6%, largely driven by the boom in vehicle arrivals from the Asian giant. The Port Authority highlights the arrival of new ships in Barcelona. car-caller, "which significantly improve service capacity, along with a rebound in sales in the European vehicle market and the growing import of Chinese cars," are facilitating the recovery of this traffic.

The entry into force of Donald Trump's new tariffs in the European Union is already being felt in Catalonia's sales in the United States. In August, Catalan exports to the United States fell 30.9% compared to the same period in August 2024, to €223.6 million, as published this Thursday by the Ministry of Economy through the DataComex platform. The White House's new tariff policy came into effect on August 7, following a trade agreement reached with Brussels, and involved the application of a 15% tariff on all European products shipped to the United States.

Exports from Catalonia totaled €9.201 billion in July, a 0.5% drop compared to the same month last year, according to data published Tuesday by the Ministry of Economy. Imports, meanwhile, grew 7.6%, reaching €10.376 billion. As a result of this development, the Catalan trade deficit stood at €1.175 billion in the seventh month of the year.

While waiting for Brussels to publish more details, for now it is known that the trade agreement The agreement reached between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump will finally set tariffs on European products sold in the US at 15%. The fact that it's a US federal tax on products manufactured in the European Union may raise questions about who should pay it, when, and who is most directly affected.