Local companies sold abroad for 1.031 million euros, 8,6% less than in 2020, compared to 10,5% nationally
The president of the Association of Importers and Exporters of Albacete (Adiex), Iván Torres, considers that "the export muscle of Albacete companies remains despite the setback caused by the pandemic", after analyzing the data from the annual report prepared by the Territorial Directorate of Commerce-ICEX in Castilla -The stain.
Torres points out that "last year exports and imports clearly decreased in the province of Albacete and exporting companies fell by eight percent (10,5 percent at the national level), what did increase were companies that export recurrently and as direct part of its activity, something that, without a doubt, is good news.
The president of Adiex relativizes this decrease, which in percentage terms is lower than the average for the rest of the country - "the data has not been excessively bad as a whole", he stated - and warns that "in recent years, both Albacete and the rest of Castilla La Mancha, presents growth figures above that national average, it is something very positive that companies from Albacete are progressively encouraged to enter international markets.
Likewise, he reiterated that it is remarkable that the figures for this decrease in 2020, being the year after the best in history in this chapter, have not been those expected in a negative sense within the context of the pandemic, "which confirms the strength of the sector".
According to the report prepared by the Territorial Directorate of Commerce-ICEX in Castilla-La Mancha, exports in the province during 2020 reached 1.031 million euros, 8,6% less than the previous year, while the entire autonomous community were 7.188 million euros, which is equivalent to a 4,5% drop compared to 2019, with Toledo standing out in first position by export value, with 1.924 million euros and an increase of 2,6%, followed by Ciudad Real, with 1.832 million (-7,2%), Guadalajara, with 1799 (-11), Albacete and, finally, Cuenca, with 602 million, which nevertheless experienced the largest regional increase: 13,6%.
For its part, imports in Castilla-La Mancha remained at similar figures to those of 2019, reaching 9.286 million, while in Spain they fell by 15%. The province of Albacete registered a decrease of two percent, a more accentuated drop in Guadalajara, with a drop of 7,2%; On the contrary, in Toledo, Ciudad Real and Cuenca they increased by 13,6, 9,1% and 34%, respectively. Imports in the province during December 2020 reached 76,7 million euros, around 12% more than the previous month and 5,3% more than in December 2019. In Castilla-La Mancha, imports in the month of December 2020 they reached 966,4 million euros, varying by 7,9% compared to the previous month, although compared to the same month of 2019 the positive variation is 16 percent.
In this way, the trade balance of the region during the past year stood at -2.098 million euros, a deficit that increased by slightly more than 19% compared to 2019, a percentage similar to that of the province of Albacete. The trade balance in December registered a balance of -362 million euros (in the same month of the previous year it was -239 million euros). Comparing it with the previous month of the same year, the trade balance was -215 million euros. The coverage rate stood at 62,5%, above that reached in the same month of the previous year, which reached 71,3 percent.
The president of Adiex foresees a normalization in 2022, although he believes that this year there will be growth
The main markets for Albacete products are located within the EU and, in this order, Portugal, Italy, France and Germany stand out
The behavior of the sectors of economic activity varies greatly from one area to another in terms of exports. "There are sectors that are holding up very well -reveals Iván Torres-, it is worth noting the weight of the agri-food industry, which rises 3,5% and that of capital goods, which reaches 0,8% increase, are the sectors that presented the main figures in volume of business in Albacete and manage to attenuate the type in these times, being affected more chemical products, textiles or footwear; In any case, I believe that during the next two years Castilla-La Manca will continue to be above national growth.
From the sectoral analysis at the regional level, the main economic export sector was Food, beverages and tobacco with 2.643,6 million euros, representing 36,8% of total exports, and they have grown by 3,5% with respect to the same period of the previous year. In second place are capital goods with 1.710,3 million euros, and a variation of 0,8%. By chapters, it is beverages with 874,2 million euros, which lead the ranking of exports, which continue to progress with a rise of -5,4%.
As for the panorama outlined in this first quarter of 2021, the head of Adiex acknowledges that the situation is not fully normalizing and believes that the path of recovery will not be consolidated until 2022, although exports may increase this year between one and two percent -, despite the aid packages approved by the European Union, "because we do not forget that approximately one third of our economy is related to trade."
Regarding the main markets of our products, it reveals that they coincide with those of the rest of the country, focusing on the EU in the first place, with Portugal, Italy, France and Germany, in that order, occupying the first places. “We still have to see how Brexit will affect the United Kingdom, the fifth market, in addition, the US must also gain an increasingly important weight after the suspension of the tariffs decreed in 2020 and other countries such as Morocco or Turkey are acquiring a increasingly prominent role as a destination for our products", he concludes.
VIRGILIO MOLINA / ALBACETE
Source: The Tribune of Albacete
