Catalonia exports more than it imports from Israel, with all-time high sales in 2022

Catalan exports to Israel have surpassed imports from the Middle Eastern country every year since 2008, according to data shared by Spain's economy ministry.

While imports have fluctuated between €150 and €300 million, exports have been rising since 2009 when authorities registered sales of goods from Catalonia to Israel worth €152 million.

In 2023, exports stood at €593 million, around 40% more than in 2015, when the Catalonia Trade & Investment office opened in the country. The Catalan government agreed with the left-wing Comuns to close this office on Wednesday morning.

When the office opened, the then-head of ACCIÓ, Núria Betriu, said, "Israel is one of the rising countries in innovation and entrepreneurship, with a large private investment in research and development."

Since then, commercial exchanges with the country have continued to increase, reaching an all-time high in 2022, dropping in 2023, and remaining stable in 2024.

The most recent flare-up in the conflict between Hamas and Israel started in October 2023.

However, a year earlier, in 2022, Catalan sales to the Eastern Mediterranean country were worth €698.63 million, an all-time high. That marked the end of a rising trend that started in 2009.

Data from 2024 sees exports worth €593.8 million, a 0.2% decrease from 2023, and imports worth €254.7 million.

In terms of sectors, semi-manufacturers, working with raw materials, account for 40% of the overall exchanges. Car (18%) and machinery (17.7%) manufacturing close the ranking of the major commercial exchanges between Catalonia and Israel.

Spain

While in Catalonia, exchanges with Israel increased by 2.7% compared to 2023, but dropped by 12.5% from 2022, in Spain, there has been an 8.7% drop compared to 2023, and a 10% drop between 2023 and 2022.

In 2024, exports and imports between Spain and Israel were worth €2.62 billion, accounting for €906 million on imports and €1.72 billion on sales.