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Africa
The typical exporting company in Spain has France as its destination, sells automobiles as its main product and uses road transport. However, this pattern varies significantly in each province, according to the new analysis carried out by Grupo Rhenus on Spanish exports, based on the results of the Spanish Tax Agency in 2023. This analysis identifies the economic and logistical diversity of the Spanish territory.
The map of provincial exports confirms the strength of the automotive industry. There are eight regions where the first product marketed is a vehicle: Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza, Navarre, Alava, Pontevedra, Valladolid and Palencia. In addition, two provinces stand out for their sales in the auxiliary industry: Gipuzkoa and Jaén.
Industrial exports are dominated by electrical appliances in León and Cantabria, mechanical machinery in Salamanca and televisions in Melilla. The most technological production is in Guadalajara, thanks to smartphones, as well as in Seville and Teruel, where the aeronautical sector concentrates the largest sales abroad, through the construction of aircraft and aircraft engines, respectively.
There are also the provinces most closely linked to the health sector: Madrid and Toledo focus on the production of vaccines, while Burgos and Ceuta produce pharmaceuticals and medicines.
The energy sector is crucial for seven regions, such as Cádiz, Huelva, the Balearic Islands, Las Palmas, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Murcia and Bizkaia, where fuels lead their trade relations with the rest of the world.
Agriculture and livestock are also very important. Eight provinces have a product that is the top seller. Huesca, Girona and Cuenca excel in pork exports, while olive oil is the top seller in Granada, Málaga and Lleida. Almería is famous for its peppers, Badajoz for its canned tomatoes and Ávila for its sunflower oil.
In terms of manufactured products and materials, Castellón's main exports are ceramics, Soria's are self-adhesive papers, Tarragona's are plastics, Albacete's are aluminium sheets, Ourense's are natural slate, Lugo's are aluminium oxide, Asturias's are zinc and Cordoba's are copper wire. In the consumer sector, La Rioja and Ciudad Real stand out for wine sales, Zamora for cheese, Alicante for footwear, Segovia for nappies, Cáceres for tyres and A Coruña for clothing.
The analysis, available on the Rhenus website, also evaluates the main destination country for exports from each province. France consolidates its position as reference partner in 27 regions, followed by Portugal with nine and Germany with seven. Fourth place is not occupied by any country, but by four provinces supplying vessels transporting oil products. Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Morocco complete the ranking.
Road transport, export leader in 80 percent of the territory
Trucks continue to be the most used means of transport for exporting goods, and for the third year running they have maintained their position in 41 provinces. Maritime transport dominates international relations in ten provinces: the three islands, Cádiz, Huelva, Asturias, Castellón, Lugo, Murcia and Melilla. Meanwhile, for the second year running, Palencia is the only region where rail is the first option for exporting companies.
"These results once again demonstrate the strategic importance of road transport for Spanish exporters," says Andreu Gutiérrez, Country Sales Director Road of the Rhenus Group in Spain. Year after year, we observe that the profile of exports is becoming more diverse, with greater industrial and territorial diversity in their destinations. However, the truck remains the primary ally of companies, and this is mainly due to the price and time competitiveness that the truck offers in its connection with Europe.
Francisco Ocón, Managing Director of Rhenus Air & Ocean in Spain, adds: “One of the key findings of this new analysis is the high added value of products, from smartphones to vaccines, aircraft engines or automotive components. The export map provides a clear picture of the complexity of the Spanish export system, and companies need a wider range of transport solutions to take advantage of the benefits of each mode of transport, depending on the destination and the goods.