According to the latest report prepared by this Territorial Directorate of Commerce-ICEX of Castilla-La Mancha, with data provided by the Customs Department of the AEAT to this Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Business, the region’s exports until July 2024 have reached the figure of 6,082.4 million euros, which represents an increase of 4.6% compared to the same period in 2023In Spain, exports decreased by 0.9%, reaching 228,375.0 million euros.
By province, until July 2024 Toledo takes first placewith 1,713.5 million euros of exports (+4.6%). Guadalajara with 1,525.6 million occupies second place (+12.3%)Ciudad Real is the third exporting province, with 1,468.1 million euros (+2.3%) and is followed by the provinces of Albacete with 905.8 million euros (+3%), and Cuenca, with 469.5 million euros, which records a drop in exports of 7.1%.
For his part, imports from the affected region the 9,682.0 million euros, an increase of 11%, while in Spain they decreased by 1.7% to 247,411.3 million. By importing provinces, Guadalajara occupies the first place, with an increase of 10.6%, followed by Toledo (+15.3%), Albacete (+7.8%), Ciudad Real (-6.7%) and Cuenca (+33%).
The region’s trade balance until July 2024 thus stood at -3,599.5 million euros, while the coverage rate stood at 62.8%, still significantly lower than the national average (92.3%).
Exporting sectors
Until July 2024, agri-food products occupied the first place in regional exports with 2,108.3 million euros, representing 34.7% of the total exported by Castilla-La Mancha and registering an increase of 12.5% compared to the same period of 2023. The sector is dominated by debts with 650.6 million, whose sales increased by 7.1%. The meat sector comes in second with 400.7 million, registering an increase of 4.1%. Fruits, vegetables and legumes increased by 23.2% (336.1 million). Exports of oils and fats increased by 58.5% (236.2 million).
Below they highlight Capital goods with 1,563.8 million and an increase of 2.1%while in third and fourth place are the consumer industry (-3.9%) and chemicals (-0.9%) and with 708.7 and 673.8 million respectively. In this period, non-chemical semi-finished products increased by 6.7%, reaching 633.7 million euros.
Regarding the importing sectors, capital goods stand out (3,205.3 million), with an increase of 16.2%, highlighting office and telecommunications equipment with 1,101.8 million (+3.3%). The second importing sector is chemicals with 1,677.3 million (+5.4%), while the third place is occupied by food, beverages and tobacco with a value of 1,502.5 million, which increased this month by 3.7%.
By country
Until July 2024, EU monopolizes most of Castilla-La Mancha’s exports by representing 76.3% of the totalIn the Eurozone, Portugal is the main customer with 1,367.7 million euros (+7.5%), followed by France with 1,025 million (+2.1%), Germany with 660.1 million (+7.4%) and Italy with 642.6 million (+24.1%).
For its part, outside the EU, Exports to the UK stood at 236.5 million, down 15.5%In Türkiye there were 112.6 million (+5%) and in Russia 9.9 million (+24.3%).
Excluding the closest environment, exports to: United States (205.4 million, +8.7%), Canada (18.8 million, +13.9%), Mexico (51.8 million, -15.1%), Chile (19.2 million, 0%), Brazil (15.8 million, -28.1%) and Argentina (5.4 million, -23.3%).
On the other hand, Morocco (98.3 million, +4.8%), Algeria (2.3 million, +944.3%) and the Middle East (76.8 million, -19.7%) stand out. In Asia, Japan stands out with 85.6 million, up 7.2%, and China (78.7 million, -16.5%), while South Korea reaches 40.4 million (+7.3%).
Regarding imports, 73.9% are of Community origin (mainly Germany and France). Outside the EU, it is worth highlighting the 8.1% coming from the main non-EU supplier, China, with 788.9 million, down 2% compared to the same period in 2023.
Franco highlights strength of exports
The Minister of Economy, Trade and Employment, Patricia Francocelebrated that Castilla-La Mancha exceeded 6 billion euros in exports for the first time in the first seven months of the year, after becoming one of the regions with greater dynamism in foreign sales between January and July across the country, in a national context where exports in the first seven months of the year fell by 0.9 percent.
According to the regional government, Franco estimated that the month of July once again set a record for exports in Castilla-La Mancha, with almost 938.5 million euros, highlighting the good performance of sectors such as food and beverages or consumer goods. the international bill of the region.
“This is the first time that companies in Castilla-La Mancha have exceeded 6 billion euros exported in the first seven months of the year and they also do so in a context of decline in the entire country, making the region one of the ‘autonomies with greater dynamism in this period and consolidating the strength of our exports in a context of international difficulties’, said Patricia Franco, who highlighted the good performance, between January and July, of sectors such as food and beverages.
“This continues to be our main export bill with one euro in three and a growth of 12.5 percent in the first seven months of the year”; or capital goods, which increased by 2.1 percent between January and July in the region.
In addition to the record achieved in the region as a whole, Patricia Franco highlighted the good performance of the provinces, with four of them, Albacete, Ciudad Real, Guadalajara and Toledo, marking their absolute record for the January-July period, and with Cuenca with the third best record for this period of the entire historical series.
