Catalan exports down 3% in February, reaching €8.3 billion
Decline was due to lower sales in equipment, automotive and chemicals
Catalan exports fell 3% in February compared to the same month in 2023, totaling €8.32 billion.
Year-to-date, exports also fell by 2.2% to a total of €15.99 billion, as reported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business.
The decline was mainly due to a 6.5% drop in equipment sales, as well as a 5.6% drop in automotive sales and a 2.3% drop in chemical sales.
Imports mirrored this decline, falling by 7.6% in February to €8.7 billion and by 7.1% in the year to €17.4 billion.
As a result, Catalonia's trade balance was negative by €466 million in February, as imports exceeded exports.
Spanish exports fall in February
In Spain as a whole, exports also fell by 3% in February to €31.8 billion, and by 2.8% on a year-to-date basis to €61.9 billion.
However, February represents the second-best historical performance for the month, with a 5.6% improvement over January this year.
The decline is mainly due to the fall in exports of energy products, which fell by 17.5% year-on-year, mirroring other EU countries.
Spanish imports in February totaled €34 billion, down 3.1% year-on-year, mainly due to a nearly 20% drop in energy imports.
As a result, Spain's trade deficit decreased by 4.7% in February compared to the same period last year, reaching €2.3 billion.