Euskadi exports grow 23% in 2021 and exceed pre-pandemic figures

Exports from the Basque Autonomous Community (CAV) have grown by 23% in 2021, 4,800.9 million more than the previous yearreaching 25,665 million euros, according to data prepared by the Basque Institute of Statistics, Eustat.

Throughout the year, the cumulative figure for 2019 was reached and even exceeded by 179.6 million. The CAV’s foreign trade in 2021 showed a positive balance of 4,605.5 million euros, with a coverage rate of 121.9%.

By territories, Bizkaia stood out, during this period, due to its export activity, since, with a year-on-year increase of 31.2%, it leads sales of goods, reaching 10,205 million euros. In Álava, the increase was 19.4% (7,340.5 million) and 17.1% in the case of Gipuzkoa (8,120 million).

In relation to imports, Bizkaia had an increase of 41.9% and imported goods worth 11,879.6 million euros; Gipuzkoa follows with 4,650.3 million and a 29.3% increase and, lastly, Álava with a percentage of 21.3% and a contribution of 4,529.9 million to the total amount of the CAV.

Products

Were the non-energy products, with a year-on-year increase of 4,387.1 million (22.0%), which most favored the growth of exports; Energy products also registered 413.8 million more than the previous year (43.5%).

On the other hand, imports of energy products they rose by 57.6% and those of Non-energy products did so by 28.8%.

The ranking of the countries to which Basque exports are directed, in this period, is led by France, with 16.1% of the total exported (4.12 billion euros), which has managed to surpass Germany, which, finally, ranks the second position with 15.9% and 4,092 million.

Following these two countries are the United Kingdom (1,695 million and 6.6% of the total), the United States (1,592 million and 6.2%) and Belgium (1,362 million and 5.3%). These five countries bring together, with 12,861 million euros, half of Euskadi’s exports (50.1%).

Among the most important branches of activity, due to their export volume in 2021, the “Iron and steel industry” with an increase of 50.2% compared to the previous year, surpassing it by 955.6 million euros and reaching 2,858.8 million. Exports of “Coke ovens and oil refining” (44.9%), “Non-ferrous metals” (41.8%), “Electric material and equipment” (21.7%), “Rubber products” also grew considerably (18.3%) and, especially, “Shipbuilding” (239.5%), among others.

The branch of products related to the “Manufacture of motor vehicles” (5,543.7 million and 21.6% of the total) registered, at the end of the twelfth month of 2021, an accumulated growth of 15.6% with 746.7 million more than in the same period of the previous year and consolidates its hegemony in the export ranking of the CAV.