Catalan exports rise 1.4% to €51 billion in the first half of the year

Catalan exports grew by 1.4% during the first half of this year, reaching €51.114 billion. Much of this growth was driven by a sharp rebound in June, when exports rose by an impressive 7.2% to €9.029 billion. These figures bring Catalonia’s export performance closer to the record set in 2023, when it reached €53 billion. The data were released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise.

By sector, the chemical industry led the way in the first half (€15.637 billion, 17% of the total), followed by capital goods (€8.398 billion, 13%) and food and beverages (€7.999 billion, 10.5%). Notably, Catalonia’s foreign sales represented 26.7% of all Spanish exports.

These figures come against a backdrop of uncertainty, shaped by the new tariff agreement between the United States and the European Union, which will impose general duties of 15% on its products, with only limited exceptions.

Meanwhile, according to the latest quarterly economic outlook report from the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Catalonia’s GDP is expected to grow in 2025 above the forecasts of various economic stakeholders. The report points to a shift in the growth model, increasingly centred on higher value-added economic sectors. In this scenario, investment and private consumption are set to replace public consumption and exports as the main drivers of the Catalan economy.