Women and Internationalization | 4/23/2024

ICEX celebrates the second edition of ¡SAL! to promote feminine internationalisation,

The day aims to enable the creation of a community so that women who lead companies can support themselves in the field of internationalisation The common thread regarding the activities of this second edition has been the use of new technologies

Trade | 4/19/2024

The trade deficit was reduced by 5.3% in the first two months of 2024 due to the improvement in the balance of energy and non-energy goods.

The non-energy deficit decreased by 17.3%, reaching 435.6 million euros in the first two months of the year compared to the same period in 2023, while the energy deficit decreased by 4.3%, to 5.643 billion euros, compared to the deficit of 5.894 billion euros in the same period of the previous year. This improvement in the trade balance is further explained by the significant reduction in the trade deficit with non-EU countries, which decreased by almost 19.9% to 11.221 billion euros. The trade balance with the European Union continues to be in surplus in the first two months of the year, reaching 5.1421 billion euros. Spanish exports reached nearly 62 billion euros in the first two months of 2024, the second-best figure in the historical series. In February 2024, exports achieved record numbers for the month in many of our main markets, such as France, Germany, Portugal, or Poland, and outside the European Union in the United Kingdom, Turkey, or Mexico. The number of regular exporters grew by 5% year-on-year in the January-February period of 2024, and their exports accounted for 95.9% of the total. Looking at the monthly data, the trade deficit reduced by 4.7% in February to 2.350 billion euros, while the non-energy balance showed a surplus of 32.7 million euros. The automotive, food, beverages, and tobacco sectors, as well as durable consumer goods, consumer manufactures, and capital goods, experienced the highest growth, also reaching historical export highs for the month.

Trade | 4/18/2024

Spain and the Netherlands are strengthening their trade and energy partnerships

The State Secretary for Trade accompanies Their Majesties the King and Queen on their trip to the Netherlands to strengthen the commercial ties and cooperation concerning green energy and new technologies Within the framework of this visit, the State Secretary for trade, through ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones and in collaboration with la Chamber of Commerce of Spain and CEOE, have organised a meeting to discuss business opportunities in the areas of cybersecurity and technological finance

Trade | 4/16/2024

The Government is promoting the attraction of foreign investment in Spanish companies through the FOCO Co-Investment Fund, endowed with 2 billion euros

The Council of Ministers has approved the agreement regulating the development of the activity and functioning conditions of the Co-Investment Fund (FOCO) The objective of this Fund is to attract foreign investment and to foster productive modernisation, sustainable growth and the ecological and digital transition of the Spanish economy. The Co-Investment Fund (FOCO) is one of the new financial instruments included in the latest Addendum to the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, endowed with 2 billion euros until 2026 and whose management has been entrusted to COFIDES The Fund will mainly make capital investments in private companies that undertake investment projects in national territory. FOCO investments will always be made jointly with a foreign co-investor, which can be both public financial institutions and foreign private institutional investors.

Trade | 3/20/2024

Foreign investment in Spain reached 28.22 billion euros in 2023, reaching the average of the last five years

Foreign investment in Spain aimed at enhancing productive capacities and employment has grown by 12 per cent compared to 2022, at 5.68 billion of euros The sectors that received the most investment were wholesale trade, telecommunications, electricity and fuel. In regard to countries, the United States was the first issuer of investment flows to Spain (28.9%), followed by the United Kingdom (13.1 per cent), Germany (10.6 per cent) and France (9.2 per cent). Investments from other countries, such as Australia, Switzerland, Canada and Mexico, increased in importance, therefore demonstrating the diversification of confidence in the Spanish economy. Spain is incredibly attractive for international investors, consolidating an investment attraction of around 30 billion euros annually, compared to 20 billion euros 10 years ago, in 2014.

Trade | 3/11/2024

Spain strengthens its commercial and business alliances with Brazil and Chile

The President of the Government of Spain has undertaken an official visit to these two countries to reinforce commercial ties and investments with Latin America.The Minister of Economy, Trade, and Business, and the State Secretariat for Trade have accompanied them on this visit along with a delegation of Spanish companies to explore new business opportunities.

Trade | 3/8/2024

Commerce launches an explanatory guide for the presentation of foreign investment declarations

It gathers the latest developments introduced after Royal Decree 571/2023 on foreign investments and the recent ministerial order ECM/57/2024 that regulates the application procedures.

Women and Internationalization | 2/6/2024

Trade celebrates the 5th meeting of the 'Women and Internationalization' Working Group

An assessment has been made of the progress made during the five years of the group's activity and the initiatives to continue promoting gender equality in international trade activity.

Trade | 2/2/2024

The government renews its commitment to the Canary Islands to promote the internationalization of its economy.

The central and Canary Island governments have held the third meeting of the Advisory Board for the Strategic and Commercial Promotion of the Canary Islands (CAPECC). The CAPECC's main objective is to promote the Canary Islands' foreign trade and attract foreign investment to the archipelago. The State Secretariat for Trade and the Canary Islands Department of Economy recently renewed the annual agreement to promote the internationalization of the Canary Islands' economy, endowed with €500,000. The volume of goods exports from the Canary Islands in the period from January to November 2023 reached €2.125 billion, with the European Union and Africa standing out as the main target markets.

Trade | 1/23/2024

Spain supports a resilient European trade policy open to multilateralism in order to face the current international context.

EU trade ministers met in Brussels to discuss the priorities of European trade policy in the current international environment, with the aim of having greater strategic autonomy, as well as promoting the diversification of global value chains. Spain advocates a definitive push to close pending EU trade agreements such as those with Mercosur and Mexico in order to achieve greater diversification, to reinforce security of supply and to open up new markets for Spanish companies. The current state of the Red Sea crisis has been analysed and possible impacts on international trade are being monitored. Spain considers that one of the priorities for the forthcoming 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is to promote the reform of this organisation in order to establish the rules of the international trade game based on clear and fair rules.

Trade | 1/22/2024

Secretary of State for Trade meets Minister-President of Lower Saxony

The trade balance between Spain and Lower Saxony in the year 2022 was 1,327 million euros Spain's trade balance with Lower Saxony in 2022 was 1,327 million euros

Trade | 1/18/2024

Spanish exports maintain their dynamism and exceed 354.7 billion euros by November 2023, the second best figure in the last decade

In a context of international uncertainty, foreign trade in goods is evolving better than that of the main European economies, reflecting the competitiveness of Spanish companies and their strong positioning in international markets. Compared with pre-pandemic levels (2019), exports in the cumulative figure up to November are up 32.6% and imports are up 31.8%. The trade deficit was reduced by nearly 42% from January to November 2023, and fell to €37.158 billion, €26 billion less than in the same period in 2022. The trade deficit is down by nearly 42% from January to November 2023 and fell to €37.158 billion, €26 billion less than in the same period in 2022. In the January-November 2023 period, exports to many of our main markets, such as Germany, France and Italy, have reached record figures, as have exports to other markets such as the United Kingdom, Morocco and Turkey. The automotive, capital goods and food, beverages and tobacco sectors were those that contributed most to the annual rate of change of exports in the first eleven months of 2023, reaching a historic volume of exports. In November, the non-energy balance showed a surplus of 137 million euros.

Trade | 1/11/2024

The Minister of Economy, Trade and Enterprise highlights the strength of the Spanish economy and the attractiveness of our country for foreign investment.

Carlos Cuerpo stresses the dynamism of the labour market and the robustness of the foreign sector as two key levers for a more balanced and dynamic economy, that will in turn generate confidence in international markets. The minister highlighted the important role of the Recovery Plan for the evolution of the Spanish economy and the optimal implementation of these European funds for the transformation of the country. The government has launched a co-investment fund (FOCO) to attract foreign investment, in order to promote projects linked to the transformation of Spain's productive structure, which will be endowed with 2,000 million euros. The Secretary of State for Trade closed the 'Spain Investors Day' forum, where she explained how foreign investment in Spain has been a key element in driving the modernisation of the economy and the generation of employment. Spain ranks 13th in the world ranking of countries with the highest stock of inward foreign investment, and there are almost 20,000 foreign companies established in Spain across all sectors.

Trade | 12/27/2023

The Government earmarks nearly 2 million euros to boost commercial activity in Ceuta and Melilla

The Council of Ministers has today approved the award of a 950,000 euro grant to each of the regional cities to create programmes to boost the commercial sector. This aid will improve the competitiveness of trade in Ceuta and Melilla, generate quality employment and boost urban development. In Ceuta, discount voucher programmes will be implemented in commercial establishments to encourage consumer and tourist purchases. In Melilla, aid will be distributed to SMEs and the self-employed to help transformation at the point of sale.

Trade | 12/27/2023

The government launches the creation of a new fund with 2 billion euros to attract foreign investment in Spain in strategic sectors

The Joint Investment Fund (FOCO) will promote projects that promote the transformation of the Spanish production model, such as those linked to green energy, digital transformation, sustainable mobility, biotechnology and sustainable agriculture The Joint Investment Fund (FOCO) is one of the new financial instruments included in the Addendum to the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, whose management has been entrusted to the public company COFIDES In addition, the government reinforces aid to small and medium-sized enterprises for their internationalisation with the extension of 100 million euros more for SMEs and small export and investment projects under the Fund for the Corporate Internationalisation Fund (FIEM) Three operations have also been approved under the FIEM for projects of great interest for the internationalisation of the Spanish economy, two of them in Africa, which will boost Spanish presence and investment in this continent

Trade | 12/20/2023

Foreign investment in Spain amounted to €21.232 B in the first nine months of 2023

In the third quarter, investment increased by 54% compared to the previous quarter. Total foreign investment grew by more than 6.9% relative to the 2018-2022 average. The sectors with the highest investment were services, industry and construction. Spain is the fifth country in the world that has received the most new Foreign Direct Investment projects in the world in the January-October 2023 period.

Trade | 12/19/2023

The European Union has suspended duties on US products until March 2025

The length of the suspension is good news for EU and US producers and consumers. It is expected to come into force on 1 January 2024. The EU should continue to seek the permanent elimination of US duties on European steel and aluminium.

Trade | 12/12/2023

The retail industry gains dynamism and sales increase 6.5% through October 2023

Retail sales at constant prices increased by 4.5% year on year in October 2023. The number of contributors to Social Security in the retail industry reached 1,917,989 in November,  a historic high for this month. The retail trade sector is an important source of employment for women; 62.9 % of workers are women. All retail industry indices have improved: sales, employment and confidence indicators.

Trade | 11/22/2023

Council and European Parliament approve regulation to protect EU from economic coercion by third countries and extension of trade preferences for developing countries

Two important legislative acts in the field of common commercial policy are signed in Strasbourg.

Trade | 11/20/2023

Trade rewards the Spanish business sector's effort and innovation in its digital transformation

Xiana Méndez handed out these awards which recognise technological solutions driven by the retail sector to improve its competitiveness

Trade | 11/17/2023

Spanish exports as of September exceed €287.5 B

The trade deficit was reduced to €29.596 billion in the January-September period. The sectors which contributed positively to the year-on-year growth rate for exports from January to September 2023 were the automotive, equipment and food, drink and tobacco industries. The autonomous communities with the greatest growth in exports in the period were Castile and León, Catalonia and La Rioja. Héctor Gómez: The dynamism of Spanish exports compared to imports means the trade deficit has fallen by up to 44%. One of this Government's priorities has been to strengthen and increase our exporting companies and to make Spain an attractive country for foreign investment.

Trade | 11/15/2023

Africa, full of opportunities for Spanish companies

The State Secretariat for Trade has updated its ‘Horizonte África’ strategy to increase the presence of Spanish companies and promote investment in the African continent. Trade relations between Spain and Africa have increased: Spanish exports to this continent have exceeded €21 B in the past year. Over the three years this strategy has been in place, 56 transactions financed by the FIEM (Fund for International Expansion of Business) have been approved.

Trade | 11/14/2023

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism and the European Commission analyse tools for accessing international markets

A new edition of "Market Access Day" is being held in Madrid.

Trade | 11/14/2023

Spain contributes €2 million to the WTO's Fisheries Financial Mechanism

Héctor Gómez, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism: Spain, as a leader in production and fishing tradition, demands to know that the product consumed does not come from illegal practices. The Secretary of State for Trade, Xiana Méndez, presented the Spanish contribution to the WTO Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Trade | 10/31/2023

The Spanish Secretary of State for Trade discusses the Middle East situation with the Spanish business sector

The Spanish Secretary of State for Trade has met with companies to provide information on the current state of international trade in this region

Trade | 10/27/2023

EU members discuss boosting trade in environmental services to combat climate change

Madrid has hosted the Informal Meeting of Experts from the EU Services and Investment Trade Policy Committee. During the Committee's investment session, experts discussed the future of investment protection agreements.

Trade | 10/25/2023

Spanish trade representative participates in the World Trade Organisation Senior Officials' Meeting

The aim of the meeting is to move work forward in the run-up to the forthcoming 13th WTO Ministerial Conference.

Trade | 10/24/2023

Aid of up to 28,000 euros to assist SMEs with their internationalisation

Through the International Mentoring part of the programme set up by the Secretary of State for Trade through the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and financed by Next Generation Funds. SMEs involved in the programme will put together an Internationalisation Plan with the help of a mentor from a large company.

Trade | 10/23/2023

The Council has adopted a regulation to protect the EU from economic coercion by third countries

The new legislation, known as the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI), seeks to act as a deterrent and, ultimately, to facilitate the adoption of response measures by the EU to defend the interests of the EU.

Trade | 10/23/2023

Three- and 12-month export prospects are favourable

The evolution of external demand and international competition in terms of quality stand out as the factors with the greatest influence on export activity. The Synthetic Indicator of Export Activity (SIEA, Spanish acronym ISAE) for the third quarter of 2023 stands at -5.3 points.

Trade | 10/20/2023

EU trade ministers advocate for trade openness and greater economic resilience

During the Informal Meeting of Trade Ministers for the European Union (EU), held in Valencia, a pledge was made to move towards economic security in which free trade agreements play a key role. Héctor Gómez: "We have laid the foundations for ensuring greater security and confidence in international markets. We still need multilateral order based on clear trade rules. Europe must be at the forefront of the fight against protectionism and economic unilateralism”. The Ministers from the 27 Member States have agreed to develop a comprehensive approach that promotes economic resilience of the European Union.

Trade | 10/19/2023

Spanish exports grow by 1.8% up to August and reach more than 250 billion euros

The trade deficit was reduced to 25.758 billion euros during the first eight months of the year. Exports in the automotive, capital goods and food sectors continue to perform well. Héctor GómezThe reduction of the trade deficit is very good news for Spanish trade; the country must continue to work to become more and more competitive..

Women and Internationalization | 10/10/2023

ICEX and Red.es launch a new edition of the programme "DESAFÍA San Francisco"

The preparatory day was attended by the Secretaries of State for Trade and for Digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence, as well as the CEOs participating in the programme The challenges, risks and lessons of internationalisation as an element of scalability for Spanish technology start-ups were analysed

Trade | 10/10/2023

Retail sales at constant prices increase 7.0% year on year in August

The average number of Social Security affiliates increased by 1.3% year on year in September 2023 to 1,937,647 Registered unemployment in retail trade decreased by 6.5% year-on-year in September 2023 Spain's retail confidence indicator is higher than that of the main European economies

Trade | 10/6/2023

International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) elects Spain's Rafael Soriano Ortiz to chair its International Council

Recognition for the active role of the EU and Spain in international trade of this product

Trade | 10/6/2023

EU Council Group on 'Export Credits' meets in Madrid

Experts discussed the market situation, recent and expected regulatory changes, as well as the future of a European strategy on export credit. With participation from the Spanish Secretary of State for Trade and the Director General for International Trade and Investment.

Trade | 10/5/2023

Oman Investment Authority and COFIDES agree to set up the Spain Oman Private Equity Fund (SOPEF) II

Both entities are extending their collaboration following the successful outcome of the first fund, created in 2018, which represents a total aggregate amount of 300 million euros for boosting the internationalisation and expansion of Spanish companies in agreed target markets.

Trade | 9/28/2023

Sovereign wealth funds grow by 11% to $11.6 trillion by 2022

The sectors in which sovereign wealth funds have diversified; they are now more evenly distributed across technology, industrials, real estate, financials and healthcare Sovereign wealth funds are shifting their investments from conventional oil-related industries to green technologies There were 376 deals in 354 unique transactions, with an investment value of USD 95.2 billion in 2022

Trade | 9/28/2023

EU-Japan agreement adds 9 more Spanish protected geographical indications

With this new extension, Spain now has a total of 42 protected geographical indications

Trade | 9/25/2023

Cesce launches its new coverage to facilitate the acquisition of essential raw materials by Spanish companies operating internationally

Through Direct Guarantee or Bank Guarantee policies, Spanish companies operating internationally can acquire essential raw materials for their industrial activity under better conditions (lower prices and longer contracting terms) Fernando Salazar, president of de Cesce: The new coverage fits in perfectly with our strong commitment to promoting the success of all Spanish companies and the internationalisation of the Spanish economy.

Trade | 9/21/2023

Spanish exports grew by 3.3% as of July and exceeded €230 billion

The trade deficit was reduced to 21.32 billion euros in the period from January to July The automobile industry, capital equipment and food sectors performed especially well in terms of exports

Trade | 9/20/2023

Spain welcomes the meeting of the Informal Working Group on Export Controls

Consisting of France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Spain

Trade | 9/19/2023

Cesce launches a line for export operations to Ukraine

The new coverage, which has been allocated 30 million euros, will be awarded through Cesce's Supplier Credit Insurance Policy, aimed at insuring Spanish exporting companies against the risk of default or termination of the agreement by its foreign customer

Trade | 9/14/2023

Trade recognizes the work of individuals, associations and companies for their support of Spanish business

In three categories: domestic trade, foreign trade and women and internationalisation

Trade | 9/12/2023

The Japanese trade aid programme to strengthen the business sector will mobilize 313 million euros

A total of 356 projects submitted during the three calls made from 2021 to 2023 will receive support from Next Generation EU The grants will go to three courses of action for sustainable urban markets, sustainable markets in rural areas and strengthening the commercial sector in tourist areas

Trade | 9/11/2023

Retail sales at constant prices increased by 7.7% in July 2023

The number of Social Security affiliates increased by 1.3% year on year in August 2023 to reach 1,977,177 Registered unemployment in the retail trade fell by 6 per cent year on year in August 2023

Trade | 8/25/2023

State Secretary for Trade present at the Trade and Investment Ministerial meeting in Jaipur

Spain supports an open, fair international trading system based on multilateralism

Trade | 8/17/2023

Spanish exports peaked and grew by 4.7 per cent in the first six months of 2023

The trade deficit fell by nearly half to 16.420 billion euros in the first semester compared to 31.963 in the same period last year. The energy balance revealed a surplus of 285 million euros Héctor Gómez: Foreign trade is one of the engines of our economy, and Spanish companies are notable for their competitiveness, quality and innovation

Trade | 8/11/2023

Competitiveness in the Spanish economy increases in the second quarter of 2023

Improved competitiveness vis-à-vis the Spanish UE-27 and OECD

Trade | 8/10/2023

Retail sales increased by 6.8% in June 2023

The number of Social Security affiliates increased by 1.1% in July 2023 to reach 1.977.797, a historic peak in any month Registered unemployment in the retail trade declined by 5.6% year on year in July 2023, to the lowest unemployment figure of the series Héctor Gómez This is a very positive news, which highlights the good health and strength of our internal market and the overall economy

Trade | 7/26/2023

Cunext Group signs a Syndicated Loan in the framework of its Strategic Investment Plan for Córdoba

The CESCE state account offers coverage through its innovative "Strategic Investment Policy for Internationalisation"

Trade | 7/21/2023

Trade leads a Spanish business mission to support reconstruction in Ukraine

Xiana Méndez: Spanish companies are committed to Ukraine, and will play an important role in its recovery

Trade | 7/21/2023

EU Member States give the Commission the green light to negotiate an agreement on critical minerals with the US

The agreement will strengthen the international supply chain for critical minerals, a key sector for the ecological and digital transition. The objective is to grant European suppliers of essential minerals the same treatment as American suppliers when obtaining certain subsidies within the framework of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Trade | 7/20/2023

The Council renews and broadens temporary trade liberalisation measures with Moldova

The regulation will temporarily suspend all tariffs and contingents in force in the European Union on imports from Moldova for one year

Trade | 7/20/2023

The spanish exports increased by 6.4% until may record levels,

The trade deficit has continued to decline to 47 per cent in the first five months of the year The autonomous communities with higher growth in their exports were castile and Leon, La Rioja and Catalonia Héctor Gómezthe strength of spanish companies exporting their good positioning in international markets make them more dynamic exports and imports.

Trade | 7/18/2023

COFIDES is designated as one of the sovereign investors with best practices in governance and sustainability worldwide

It took fifth position out of a total of more than 200 public investors from around the world and first position at European level. It was the institution with the third-highest level of annual return in 2022.

Trade | 7/17/2023

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism is looking for the best technological ideas for revitalizing the retail trade

The prizes are worth €34,000, to be shared between the four winning ideas Deadline for entries is 14 August 2023

Trade | 7/14/2023

The eu is taking the next step in the wto against us tariffs on spanish olives

The objective of the enforcement procedure is initiated claim to Us to comply with the judgement of the wto Panel and to eliminate unwarranted their tariffs on black olives in spain.

Trade | 7/7/2023

SMEs can opt for €20,000 in aid for international certification of their products and services outside the EU

This is the first line of action of the Secretary of State for Trade's Internationalization Mentoring and Support Program launched by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce. The goal is to provide exporter SMEs with access to new markets and clientes to reduce regulatory risks The programm is funded Next Generation Funds under the Plan for Recovery, Transformation and Resilience

Trade | 7/6/2023

Spain is gaining market share in attracting foreign investment and is situated at the 12th position at the global level

Spain raised five posts in the list of destinations of foreign direct investment and received $35 billion in 2002 Spain is the third european country that received more foreign investment in the past year

Trade | 7/4/2023

Government modernises investment regulations, strengthening legal certainty for investors and companies

This new Royal Decree ensures that investment control regulations are applied in a clear and predicable manner, in accordance with the principle of legal certainty Héctor Gómez: Attracting foreign investment to Spain has been instrumental in advancing the modernisation of the economy and creating productive, stable and high-quality employment

Trade | 6/30/2023

Trade hosts the "Second Economic, Commercial and Industrial Dialogue" between Spain and Japan

The Secretary of State for Trade and the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry signed an agreement to drive business and trade relations between the two countries

Trade | 6/27/2023

Commerce presents its priorities for the upcoming Spanish Presidency of the EU to the sector.

With the aim of strengthening trade relations with Latin America, Spain will push to accelerate the closing of the Chile, Mexico and Mercosur agreements

Trade | 6/26/2023

Commerce awards the decorations of the Orders of Isabella the Catholic and Civil Merit.

Xiana Méndez: "You are a true example of the vocation of public service, collaboration, generosity and dedication."

Trade | 6/20/2023

Foreign investment in Spain up 20.3% in the first quarter of 2023

Industry tops the investment rankings Héctor Gómez: The Government's economic policy is key to generating confidence abroad, as demonstrated by the today's data. Legal certainty and solid economic growth reflect Spain strong position

Trade | 6/20/2023

European Commission announces the conclusion of negotiations of the EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement

The Agreement will create business opportunities for Spanish companies on the African continent and includes pioneering commitments in the area of sustainability

Trade | 6/15/2023

Spanish exports up by 9.2% year-on-year to April, an all-time high

Trade deficit falls by 50% in the first four months of the year Héctor Gómez: In the first quarter, the deficit has halved thanks to Spanish exports

Trade | 6/13/2023

Trade allocates over 9 million euros for the internationalization of SMEs

Through the 'Mentoring and Support for the Internationalisation of SMEs' programme of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce The deadline for applications is 30 September 2023

Trade | 6/12/2023

Retail sales at constant prices increased by 5% year-on-year in April 2023

• The average number of Social Security affiliates increased by 1.2% year-on-year in May 2023 to 1,906,880

• The full report is available in this section https://comercio.gob.es/ComercioInterior/indicadores/Paginas/indicadores-comercio-interior.aspx

Trade | 6/9/2023

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism will mobilize over 8.7 billion from the addendum to the recovery plan to strengthen PERTEs and tourism plans

For Héctor Gómez, this is the boost that will enable a giant leap forward to be made in the transformation of Spanish industry and the modernisation of our productive network Two new funds of 2.4 billion euros have been created, managed by Cofides to generate sustainable investments

Trade | 6/8/2023

Trade participates in OECD Ministerial Council Meeting

The Director-General of Trade Policy has been present at the meeting on ‘Trade policies for more resilient and inclusive growth’ Spain promotes an open, transparent and inclusive rules-based global trading system

Trade | 6/7/2023

Minister Héctor Gómez strengthens trade relations with the United States ahead of the EU presidency

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism receives his US counterpart to discuss important issues such as agreements with Latin American countries, the Spanish presidency of the EU and the bilateral cooperation reached in the last visit of Pedro Sánchez to the White House Héctor Gómez: Strengthening EU trade relations with the USA will be a priority of the Spanish presidency in order to ensure economic growth and innovation in both countries   The Spanish Government appreciates the US commitment to reform the World Trade Organization

Trade | 6/7/2023

Spain-Morocco Business Meeting identifies investment and business cooperation opportunities

58 Spanish companies from the water, environment, automotive, food value chains, education, renewable energy and transport infrastructure sectors participated The Spain-Morocco Business Meeting was opened by the Secretary of State for Trade, Xiana méndez, and the Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour

Trade | 6/7/2023

Council of Ministers approves the establishment of two new public funds, FOCUS and FIS, to be managed by COFIDES

The Co-investment Fund (FOCUS) will be endowed with 2 billion euros and it will aim to attract foreign direct investment in projects that promote the transformation of the Spanish productive model The Social Impact Fund (FIS) will be endowed with 400 million euros and will help to strengthen impact investment in Spain

Trade | 5/31/2023

Trade hosts 10th Spain-Kazakhstan Intergovernmental Joint Commission

Xiana Méndez: Bilateral trade has reached a record high, and Spanish exports to Kazakhstan have grown by an impressive 74%

Trade | 5/30/2023

Foreign investment in Spain increased by 4%, reaching €529.877B

Emplloyment associated with the foreign investment received increased by 2.9% Spanish investment stock abroad grew by 9.5%, surpassing €538.9B

Trade | 5/26/2023

Spain took up the Presidency of the Trade Council of the EU after Sweden

One of the objectives of the spanish presidency will be to speed up the trade agreements with Mercosur, Chile and Mexico

Trade | 5/19/2023

Cesce achieves a net profit of €75.1M in 2022 and establishes its roadmap for the coming years

Héctor Gómez, Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism, attended the insurance company's Shareholders Meeting. The insurance company has recorded fourteen consecutive years of profitability, and the State's account has maintained a surplus for 27 years, according to data presented at its General Shareholders Meeting. Cesce has proven to be the most financially sound insurer among the prominent Spanish and European companies in the credit and surety insurance industry. The company sets an ambitious roadmap for the coming years with the Cesce 2025 Impulse Plan and its Sustainability Master Plan, respectively.

Trade | 5/18/2023

The trade deficit reduced by around 57 per cent in the first quarter of the year

Spain exports increased by 14.6% January-March 2023 Héctor Gómez: The figures for the first quarter of the year are very positive for exports, which is undeniably the driving force behind economic growth and the creation of jobs in Spain

Trade | 5/12/2023

Price-competitiveness of Spain's economy improved in the first quarter of 2023

To the Secretary of State for Trade, this index shows that 2023 started with new price-competitiveness gains compared to the rest of the European Union and OECD

Trade | 5/10/2023

Retail sales at constant prices increase 9.7% year-on-year in March 2023

The average number of Social Security affiliates increased by 1.1% year-on-year in April 2023 to 1,894,444, the highest figure on record for the month of April

Trade | 5/9/2023

Spain strengthens trade relations with Tunisia

In the framework of the ‘Business Meeting España-túnez’, Xiana Méndez visited the country to meet with authorities and companies for strengthening trade and investment relations

Trade | 5/8/2023

Trade allocates nearly 544,500 euros to boost the opening in foreign markets

Two new aids are announced: one for exporters and the other for geographical indications The application period is open until October 31, 2023

Trade | 4/26/2023

Spain and Brazil strengthen commercial ties through a Business Meeting

The governments of Spain and Brazil have expressed their confidence in being able to close the trade agreement between the EU and Mercosur

Women and Internationalization | 4/25/2023

Trade commits to internationalisation for women

At the ICEX headquarters a workshop was organized to strengthen the creation of a community of women in business internationalization and increase their presence in the field

Trade | 4/25/2023

First leaflet to explain the international trade quality standards for bananas

The brochure has been prepared by the Subdirectorate of Inspection, Certification and Technical Assistance from Foreign Trade, with the collaboration of ASPROCAN

Trade | 4/20/2023

Exports up to February reach a new record high with an interannual increase of 12.8%

Héctor Gómez: Trade flows remain at historical figures, which points to the excellent position of our companies in international markets The trade deficit was reduced to 2.465 billion in February

Trade | 4/18/2023

The Synthetic Indicator of Export Activity (ISAE) increases in the first quarter of 2023, amounting to 3.2 points

Improved outlook for exporting companies' current order backlog and its expected evolution

Trade | 4/14/2023

The 12th Spanish-Indian Joint Commission reinforces the trade and investment relations between the two countries

Xiana Méndez chairs the Joint Commission and participates in various business meetings to promote the presence of Spanish companies in India India is a priority trading partner and is a PASE Country (Country with Strategic Sectoral Performance)

Trade | 4/10/2023

Retail sales at constant prices increased by 3.5% year on year in February 2023

The number of Social Security affiliates increased by 0.7% year on year in March 2023 to reach 1,875,782, the largest number reached in the month of March

Trade | 3/23/2023

CESCE is financing 923.4 MW of the MacIntyre wind farm, developed by ACCIONA Energía

With its subsidiary in Australia, ACCIONA Energía is increasing its installed capacity with this 923.4 MW wind farm, which will be part of the largest wind farm in Australia and one of the largest in the world CESCE is supporting this project with a syndicated loan of 1,098 million Australian dollars from Santander, CaixaBank, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, HSBC, ING and J.P. Morgan

Trade | 3/17/2023

Xiana Méndez "Trade drives the economy and generates employment in our country"

The Secretary of State for Trade has mobilised €415 million between 2021 and 2023 for the transformation and improvement of the sector's competitiveness

Trade | 3/16/2023

2023 started with an increase in Spanish exports and a decline in the trade deficit

In January, exports grew 16.2% year on year to €30,921 million, reaching record levels for this month The trade deficit has fallen approximately 40% compared with January 2022

Trade | 3/14/2023

New call opened to strengthen the business sector with €107 million

In the past two years, trade has mobilized close to €208 million for 227 projects to improve commercial activity Reyes Maroto:  With these programmes the government is strengthening its support for local businesses to improve their competitiveness

Trade | 3/10/2023

Retail sales at constant prices increased by 7.1% in January 2023

The number of average Social Security affiliates increased by 0.2% year on year in February 2023 to reach 1,868,85 The full report is available on the link: https://comercio.gob.es/ComercioInterior/indicators/Paginas/indicadores-comercio-interior.aspx

Trade | 3/8/2023

Call for nominations for the 2023 National Domestic Trade Awards is now open

The deadline for nominations is open until 9 May, inclusive

Trade | 3/3/2023

The Ministry of Trade welcomes the I Spain-Uzbekistan Intergovernmental Commission which will strengthen trade and investment relations

Driving cooperation in industry and in the fields of energy, infrastructure, transport, agriculture and tourism

Trade | 2/27/2023

The Government mobilized 258 million euros in 227 projects to improve the competitiveness of the business sector

The Ministry has assigned 62% of total investments under the Recovery Plan for the period 2021-23 The four lines of state aid are aimed at sustainable markets, markets in rural areas, commercial activity in tourist areas and the Tech Fund

Trade | 2/23/2023

Xiana Méndez: The United Arab Emirates is a hub for the expansion of Spanish companies to the Middle East, Asia and Africa

The Secretary of State for Trade visited the international Gulfood and IDEX trade fairs, showing her support for Spanish companies

Trade | 2/16/2023

Spanish exports exceeded €389,000 million in 2022, reaching a record high

Reyes Maroto: Foreign trade remains a driver of economic growth and employment in our country. The Spanish exporting activity shows greater dynamism than that of all European economies together In 2022 the external sector accounted for almost half of Spanish GDP growth, contributing 2.6 percentage points The export base in Spain reached a new record high in 2022, exceeding 43,000 regular exporters for the first time

Trade | 2/10/2023

Price competitiveness of the Spanish economy improves in the fourth quarter of 2022

Spanish competitiveness improved in all geographic areas throughout the year 2022

Trade | 2/9/2023

Employment in retail trade grew by 2.2% in 2022, the highest rate of the entire series

The retail trade confidence indicator in Spain (European Commission) improved 2.9 points in January 2023 and has a positive value (1.5 points) Retail trade increased sales by 0.8%

Trade | 2/8/2023

Spain and Angola, new economic and trade opportunities for Spanish companies

The Secretary of State for Trade organized Angola-Spain business meeting "Building a future together"

Trade | 2/1/2023

The Secretary of State for Trade highlights the role of the Galician businesses and their commitment to international markets

Xiana Méndez also visited the Tui municipal market that was the beneficiary of €1.3 M from one of the grants from the line of help for markets as part of the recovery Plan

Trade | 1/23/2023

The Synthetic Indicator of Export Activity (ISAE) improves in the fourth quarter of 2022

Improves the perception of the current order book of exporting companies, as well as their expectations of evolution at three and twelve months

Trade | 1/19/2023

Launch of the ICEX Vives to promote training in internationalization for young talent

This new programme is framed in the Plan for Recovery, Transformation and Resilience, and has a total of 60 million euros of EU Next Generation funds Up to 2000 paid internships with a duration of between 6 and 12 months will be on offer, for which ICEX will cover 100% of the cost Spanish companies will have access to a CV library of young people aged between 18 and 30 years interested in training abroad

Trade | 1/19/2023

Spanish exports continue to reach record highs

Export growth was 23.6% from January to November 2022 and obtained 357.111 B € The trade deficit was reduced in November and represents the lowest monthly value since September 2021

Trade | 1/18/2023

Spain and Mexico, a business bet for the future

Xiana Méndez highlighted the need to find an early solution to accelerate the updating of the Global Agreement between Mexico and the European Union

Trade | 1/18/2023

Companies of foreign capital installed in Spain show improvement in employment in 2022

The forecasts for investment, turnover, jobs and export volume for 2023 are positive, although they reflect the uncertainty of the international political and economic arena Foreign investors value the infrastructure, market size and human capital of Spain

Trade | 1/17/2023

Spain sets measures to control the import of electrical appliances, batteries and accumulators

Monitoring will be implemented by SOIVRE Inspection Services of Territorial and Provincial Offices of Trade

Trade | 1/10/2023

Number of retail trade premises increased by 0.4% in 2022

Until November 2022, retail sales at constant prices increased by 0.4% year on year

Women and Internationalization | 12/20/2022

Trade holds the 4th work meeting to promote the participation of women in the internationalizaton of the Spanish economy

Visibility and networking measures, analyses of companies led by women and promotion and training programmes, among others.

Trade | 12/20/2022

Foreign investment in Spain increases by about 55 per cent in the first three quarters of 2022

The Secretary of State for Trade draws attention to the favourable business climate in Spain in order to attract foreign investment

Trade | 12/19/2022

New meeting of trade with Spanish companies in order to update information on sanctions against Russia

The European Union has approved the ninth package of sanctions on Russia for the war in Ukraine

Trade | 12/15/2022

Xiana Méndez chairs the XIII Spain-Mexico Sub-Committee for Economic and Financial Affairs

The Secretary of State for Trade reiterated the need to move forward with the modernization of the EU-Mexico Agreement to be able to respond to current international challenges.  

Trade | 12/15/2022

Spanish exports increased by 26.3% up to October

Spanish exports mark a new record high, reaching 319,731 million during the first 10 months of 2022

Trade | 12/9/2022

Reyes Maroto “This agreement will strengthen our ties with Chile as a strategic partner in the field of trade and investment”

• Spain hopes that the modernization of this agreement will serve to accelerate the conclusion of agreements with Mexico and Mercosur.

• This is a very advanced agreement in the promotion of sustainable development and is a pioneer in the inclusion of commitments relating to gender equality

Trade | 12/7/2022

Retail trade amounts to three months of growth and increases sales by 1.4% in October

Members of retail trade reach 1,895,994 in November

Trade | 12/7/2022

Trade approved 118 projects with €104.28m in funding to boost competitiveness in the trade sector

The funds from the provisional resolution of the second call for commercial activities shall be distributed among all communities and will be managed by local governments These lines of funding are part of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, with a total of €415 million to support trade between 2021 and 2023

Trade | 11/25/2022

Spain and Colombia held the first Joint Commission to promote economic and trade collaboration

Xiana Méndez: Spanish companies continue to invest in Colombia, many of them leaders in strategic sectors, including infrastructure

Trade | 11/18/2022

Xiana Méndez emphasises that trade and investment relations are continuing smoothly with the United Kingdom

The State Secretary for Trade attended the presentation of the 4th Spanish Investment Barometer in the United Kingdom

Trade | 11/17/2022

Spanish exports increased by 24.7% from January to September

Exports for September increased by 22.2% €34,621.4M, a record high for the month

Trade | 11/15/2022

Trade welcomes the first meeting of the Spain-Kuwait Joint Committee

Xiana Méndez said that a roadmap had been drawn up at the meeting to drive economic and trade agreements between both countries

Trade | 11/11/2022

Improving the price competitiveness of the Spanish economy in third quarter 2022

Improving Spanish competitiveness with EU-27, OECD and BRICS countries

Trade | 11/10/2022

Reyes Maroto presents the 2022 National Domestic Trade Awards

The winners are the municipalities of Santander and Zumarraga, the Logroño company Santos Ochoa and the Association for the Promotion of the City of Vitoria-Gasteiz. Maroto The awards recognize the companies and workers of the commercial sector who raise the shutters of their businesses every day

Trade | 11/7/2022

Iberdrola, CaixaBank and BNP Paribas sign the first syndicated green loan for €500 million covered by CESCE on behalf of the State

This is the first operation under the new CESCE Green Investment Policies, which are intended exclusively for the financing of projects that will contribute to the fight against climate change 
outside of Spain The funds will be used to finance renewable wind and photovoltaic projects and battery and transmission grid projects in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal and Poland CaixaBank and BNP Paribas have structured the syndicated loan, as both entities are sustainability coordinators, and CaixaBank is acting as financing agent and coordinator of the CESCE policy

Trade | 10/27/2022

Xiana Méndez highlights the commitment of Spain and its companies to the Dominican Republic

In the framework of the ‘Spain-Dominican Republic Business Meeting’, the Secretary of State for Trade visits the country for the second time to meet with authorities and companies to strengthen trade and investment relations.

Trade | 10/17/2022

The Synthetic Indicator of Export Activity (ISAE) descends in the third quarter of  the 2022 due to the international context

International uncertainty and the rising cost of energy and raw materials explain the downward trend in respondents' perception Changes in external demand and cometition in quality are the two factors with the greatest positive influence on export activity

Trade | 10/11/2022

Trade analyses trade relations in Algeria with the Spanish business sector

The companies have access to the mailbox of the Economic and Trade Office in Algiers (argel@comercio.mineco.es) for enquiries

Trade | 10/6/2022

In interannual terms, employment is still growing in trade

The number of Social Security affiliates in retail trade reached 1,913,127 affiliates in September 2022, 12,578 more than in the same month of the previous year Retail sales at constant prices up to August 2022 increased by 0.3% year-on-year The full report is available in this link: https// comercio.gob.es/ComercioInterior/indicators/Paginas/indicadores-comercio-interior.aspx

Trade | 9/28/2022

The Secretary of State for Trade promotes the presence of Spanish companies in Egypt

Xiana Méndez participated in the Multilateral Partnership for Development in Egypt organised by ICEX During her visit to Egypt, she held meetings with the country's authorities to strengthen bilateral relations

Trade | 9/22/2022

Foreign investment in Spain increased 87.7% in the first two months of 2022

The Secretary of State for Trade highlights Spain's attraction as a destination for investment

Trade | 9/20/2022

Spanish exports increased by 24.2 per cent from January to July 2022

Exports in July increased by 20.6% to reach 32.042 billion euros (B €), a historic high for this month The growth of Spanish exports is higher than in other European economies

Trade | 9/15/2022

The Secretary of State for Trade encourages companies in Almeria to take a chance on foreign markets and diversify to continue growing

The Secretary of State for Trade visited the province of Almeria to address the internationalisation of the Spanish economy with the business network as well as the challenges and opportunities they are facing

Trade | 9/8/2022

The secretary of state for trade visits MONDRAGON

At an institutional conference to learn about the Corporation's current affairs and future plans

Trade | 8/18/2022

Spanish exports increased by 24.8% in the first half of 2022

Spanish foreign trade continued to show great dynamism in June, greater than that of most of the surrounding economies

Trade | 8/11/2022

Improvement in the price competitiveness of the Spanish economy against  OECD and BRIC countries in the second quarter of 2022

The CTI rises slightly against the EU-27

Trade | 7/19/2022

The Synthetic Index of Export Activity (ISAE) stands at 4.3 points.

The trend in foreign demand and quality-based competition: the two factors with the most positive influence

Trade | 7/18/2022

Foreign trade continues to show great dynamism, with record figures recorded

Exports continued to grow, rising 24.4 per cent from january to may to reach a record high of almost €156 billion

Trade | 7/12/2022

Trade hosts the presentation of the 1st Report on Local Food Distribution

Xiana Méndez closed the event by stressing that the food distribution sector is efficient, effective, of high quality and committed to omnichannel distribution According to the report, the network of consumer food retailers included 25,100 shops in 2021, more than half of which work on local-based formulas

Trade | 7/12/2022

The Secretary of State for Trade presents the report “Internationalization of Iberia, Spain and Portugal in the World

Analysis of the external trade, investment, and internationalization opportunities in Spain and Portugal

Trade | 7/5/2022

The Government launches a new call for applications with 105 million euros of grants to strengthen the business sector

Grants will be distributed among three areas: sustainable urban markets, sustainable markets in rural areas and strengthening the commercial sector in tourist areas Subsidies will be managed by local governments which may present their applications the month after the call for applications in the BOE (Official State Gazette)

Trade | 7/4/2022

The Fund for the Recapitalisation of Companies affected by COVID-19 (FONREC) concludes, having supporting 89 companies with 779 million euros

Catalonia is the autonomous community that received the most applications approved, with 22 applications and 170 million euros, followed by The Basque Country (15 applications and 129 million euros), Madrid (12 applications and 111 million euros) and Andalucía (10 approved applications, 78 million euros) By sector, those which received the most support from FONREC are:  industry and engineering (43% and 336 million); retaurants and tourism (25% to 192 million); other services (18% and $141 million); and construction (10% and 74 million)  

Trade | 7/1/2022

The European Commission announced the conclusion of EU - New Zealand free trade agreement negotiations

The agreement will create trading opportunities for Spanish companies in the Indo-Pacific region and includes specific commitments in the area of sustainability The close of these negotiations should send a clear message in favour of open, predictable, transparent, and rules-based trade and will promote the strengthening and diversification of supply chains in Europe  

Trade | 6/30/2022

Its period of investment ends with the approval of investments worth 779 million

The Recapitalisation Fund for Companies Affected by COVID-19 (FONREC) approved 22 new applications

Trade | 6/27/2022

The extension of the implementation of projects of the market lines convened by Trade in 2021 has been approved

Through this amendment, the recipients will be able to request the extension of time frames for the initiative sponsored 109 Projects were approved in the 2021 call for applications aimed at strengthening the activity in sustainable urban markets, sustainable markets in rural areas and shops in tourist areas

Trade | 6/21/2022

Trade launches the second call for applications for grants to promote entry into foreign markets with €896,234

 

Two types of aid are brought together: one for exporters and another for geographical indications The application period is open until 30 September

Trade | 6/20/2022

Historic high for operations financed by the Fund for Internationalization

In 2021, 53 operations were financed for a total amount of €481 M Funding for exports and investment in SMEs was increased through the FIEM-PYME channel which has facilitated 33 operations amounting to €32 M

Trade | 6/17/2022

The minister Maroto appreciates the agreements reached in fisheries, vaccines and food made in the WTO

The ministerial declaration reflects the importance of the issues related to the participation of women and smes in trade, and the launch of a programme of work on vulnerable economies. Reyes Maroto: The results of this Ministerial Conference represents a boost to the WTO, which will be strengthened in its role as guarantor of multilateral trade order, and open the way to modernise this institution.  

Trade | 6/16/2022

Spanish exports up to April amount to €120.925 M, a new record

Exports continued to grow 21.2% year on year in the month of April to reach €31.313 M — a record for April. Spanish exports grow with greater strength than exports of our main trading partners.