The exports of the Valencian Community have experienced a 0.5% decrease in May compared to the same month in 2024, reaching 3,494.9 million euros, according to the monthly foreign trade report published by the Territorial Trade Directorate. In the accumulated period between January and May, the decline has reached 2.5%, with a total of 16,070.5 million euros exported.
On the other hand, Valencian imports have reached 3,214.8 million euros, representing a growth of 1.1% compared to the same period of the previous year. In the accumulated five months, imports in the Valencian Community have totaled 15,616.8 million, 5.1% more than in 2024.
Thus, the Valencian Community closed May with a trade surplus of 280 million euros, although the balance has reduced by 16.3% compared to the same month of the previous year. In the annual accumulated, the surplus amounts to 454 million euros, 72% less than in 2024.
By provinces, Castellón stood out this month as the only one of the Valencian provinces that increased its exports, with a rise of 1.8% and a volume of 912.2 million euros.
On the other hand, Valencia (-1.4%; 1,948.2 million) and Alicante (-1.2%; 634.4 million) have experienced declines. In the overall year, Alicante leads the growth with 6.9% (3,228.2 million), while Castellón (-4.5%) and Valencia (-4.6%) consolidate their negative trend.
SECTORIAL ANALYSIS
The food, beverage, and tobacco sector continued to lead Valencian exports in May, with sales of 798.8 million euros, representing 22.9% of the total and registering a slight year-on-year increase of 1%.
The most pronounced decline once again is in the automotive sector, with a year-on-year decrease of 16.2% to 462.3 million. On the contrary, capital goods have grown by 8.2% and reached 519.9 million, driven by the good performance of industrial machinery and electrical equipment.
In semi-manufactured goods, exports of ceramic products have decreased by 2.1%, with 338 million euros (-2.1%). The chemical sector is at 469.4 million with a contraction of 3.1%.
INCREASED SALES TO CHINA AND AFRICA
69.9% of Valencian exports in May had Europe as their destination, although with a contraction of 3.5%. Within the European Union, which absorbs 57.2% of the total, France (12.5%) consolidates as the main trading partner of the Valencian Community, followed by Germany (9.7%), although both markets show disparate evolutions: France has grown by 4.2%, while Germany falls by 7%.
America represents 13% of external sales, with a decrease of 6.4%. The United States, the main American destination, shows stability (+0.1%) and represents 7.5% of Valencian exports.
Asia has experienced an increase of 2.9%, mainly driven by China, whose demand for Valencian products has surged by 19.5% year-on-year. Africa leads the relative growth, with an increase of 51.5% this month, especially due to the strong recovery of exports to Algeria (+209.5%).
