In a moment of uncertainty for international trade, Catalan exports are consolidating: last year they once again surpassed the 100,000 million euro barrier for the second consecutive year. In fact, with a volume of 100,133 million, 2024 was the second best figure in the historical series, only behind the 2023 record, by 0.5% less.
With these figures, Catalunya once again led exports at the state level, with 26% of the total. In addition, 2024 registered the best figure for companies that have been exporting for more than four years, with more than 18,000, a 4.5% increase over the previous year. "The record number of regular exporting companies indicates the degree of maturity of a business fabric that has made the world its market," defended the Minister of Business and Labor, Miquel Sàmper.
By sectors, the growth in sales of chemical products and food stood out, with increases of 3.3% and 2.7%, respectively. In 2024, Catalan exports grew especially in North America, with a 17% increase, but also in Africa, with 9%, and in Asia, with 3%. These increases have helped compensate for the 2.3% drop in the European Union, which remains Catalunya's main trading partner, with 60% of the total.
The destination country for Catalan exports that grew the most last year was precisely the United States, with a 19% increase. Faced with the possible impacts of tariffs that US President Donald Trump may apply, there has been an "anticipation effect" in Catalan companies, which have intensified exchanges in recent months to mitigate the consequences, according to the Director of International Business at Acció, Cristina Serradell. So much so that in the last month of the year they increased by 48% year-on-year.
Despite this increase, the weight of Catalan sales to the United States is 3.6%, which places them as Catalunya's seventh trading partner in exports. Taking into account the role that the United States plays in Catalan exports, Acció calculates that hypothetical tariffs of 10% could cause a reduction in Catalan GDP of around 0.2%. In this context, Serradell contrasted the slight setback of 0.5% in Catalan exports with the drop in other European markets, such as the French, which reduced these international operations by 11% last year.