Barcelona Export – Consultoria d'exportació
We provide our clients with substantial services in terms of internationalisation consulting, and commercial support to their daily export activities.
Your team is on holiday…and will return loaded with new energy to face new projects.
We wish you a great summer holiday and a well-deserved rest.
See you again!
Our team is on holiday…and he will come back loaded with new energy to face new projects.
We wish you a great summer holiday and a well-deserved rest.
See you again!
Spanish fashion has been in full growth since 2016, having as its main allies the member countries of the European Union thanks to which sales were generated for a value of 14,064 million euros in the course of 2016 itself, and which continue to grow successively in the following years to achieve results that show a success in the sector.
The surprise in exports within the Spanish fashion sector came in 2016 with the figures mentioned above, but far from remaining in an anecdotal rise this phenomenon consolidated the following years presenting in 2017 a rise of 7.4% in exports to the sector, reaching 24,000 million euros.
According to data obtained by the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade (Icex), the year 2016 registered the greatest growth in exports of Spanish fashion surpassing the previous record generated in 2013, and since then has not declined generating positive figures and raising this industry as one of the fastest growing in our country. Spain consolidates its position as the third largest European fashion exporter.
Only in the last decade, the Spanish textile industry has skyrocketed in several European countries such as Poland, Croatia or the Czech Republic, the latter as a newcomer to the European Union has seen Spanish fashion conquer its market and increase to double or triple its sales over the previous decade, with the largest markets still being Italy, Portugal and the United Kingdom.
Although the great Spanish fashion brands have already become accustomed to triumphing abroad and even to giving prestige to the quality of the country’s textiles, they are not currently the only winners in the sector’s exports, as medium-sized and small firms also find their place, to the point of obtaining large foreign investments.
Of the top 14 Spanish fashion brands, 10 already belonged wholly or partially to foreign investors in 2018, so there is great interest in the possibilities of the textile sector in Spain, and industries in other countries are increasingly focusing on the possible movements in this field, with new businesses or consecrated those likely to close deals in the European Union.
The enormous investments of foreign capital in the Spanish fashion sector
It cannot be ignored that the boom in the export of Spanish fashion also goes hand in hand with the aforementioned growth of foreign investors, and that is that financial companies participate in many companies around the world and have been looking for years at those that are located and developed in Spain, depositing large capital outlays in them.
The fact that large investors are interested in Spanish fashion in general means that they can give a boost to smaller brands, boosting the Spanish fashion market in all ranges and improving the possibilities of expansion, negotiation with other markets and the inclusion of new technologies
Spain’s trade balance: what we buy and what we sell
The cosmetics sector in Spain has been growing steadily in recent years. Interest in skin and hair care, as well as perfumery and make-up, is growing worldwide, and this reality is not lost on Spain, where the cosmetics sector is beginning to accumulate years of sustained growth.
The global cosmetics market was estimated at €461.6 billion in 2017 and according to OrbisResearch.com, in a study published in the first quarter of 2018, it is estimated that the cosmetics sector will grow by 7.14% year-on-year until 2023. This would bring the cosmetics sector to €710.5 billion.
Astronomical profits in which the cosmetics sector in Spain would participate as one of the world’s top 10 exporters of perfumes and cosmetics.
It would not be an exaggeration to consider that for the cosmetics sector in Spain, the crisis has already been more than overcome. After the significant drop in 2008, the sector began to recover.
In 2017, growth was 2.2% compared to 2016, with a market value of €4,271 million. According to the Spanish beauty division, growth by 2018 would be an additional 2 to 3%. Although there is a slowdown in the growth rate, the upward trend continues.
Skin care products represent the most important segment of the cosmetics sector in the Iberian Peninsula, with 28.1% of sales. This is followed by toiletries (25.3%), perfumes (18.8%), hair products (18.3%) and decorative cosmetics (9.5%).
The cosmetics sector in Spain coincides with international projections and trends. The desire of men and women to take better care of their appearance, to preserve a younger appearance, is an important factor.
For Spain, the sector is also an important source of employment with more than 35,000 direct jobs and about 200,000 indirect jobs.
As for Spain’s exports to the international market, which is our main interest, the outlook for the cosmetics sector is very positive. Cases such as the acceleration of export growth to the Chinese market are proof of this.
At the end of 2018, exports to the Asian giant would have increased by 267% in one year. Although Spain’s market share is still low compared to France, South Korea and Japan, growth is significantly higher than that of these countries.
As for the latest available figures, exports increased by 11.5% in 2017 to €3,508 million. More than 50% of these exports are within the European Union, with Portugal, France and Germany being the main markets. The main destinations outside the EU are the United States, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Mexico, Russia, Chile and Morocco.
Our recently published analysis of Spain’s trade balance ranks the cosmetics sector 12th in terms of exports and 18th in terms of imports, which tilts the volume of business in favour of Spanish industry.
The secret of the Chinese economy
The gastronomic market in France
The Spanish International Food and Beverage Exhibition: Alimentaria 2018
In recent years the electronics sector in France has been affected by the shortage of components, to which they have quickly put a solution with a clear implementation to improve their productivity and procurement, gradually lifting the industry and making it an interesting source of opportunities for investors or external suppliers.
After a few years of stagnation, the market for electronic components in France seems to start seeing the light and surprises the various suppliers who predicted a rather slower recovery of the sector in this country; these producers had adapted their purchasing strategies to protect themselves from the instability of the electronics sector.
Today this industry is in a moment of widespread mobilization and thanks to the digital transformation large investments are happening in the sector, so it is becoming an unexpected focus of opportunities for business creation or international trade.
The electronics industry in France succeeded in attracting the interest of public authorities by obtaining its own strategic committee within the framework of the national industry council, thanks to which a four-year contract is being closed with the state focused on innovation, international development and restructuring of the sector.
This represents a great opportunity for those companies in the electronics sector in France that have suffered for a long time, but also for the recovery of international business and strategic investments of neighboring countries that will find a new context in the industry of the Gallic country.
After two years of zero growth, analysts had rather modest forecasts for the electronics sector in France and predicted a 3.3% growth in the semiconductor industry’s annual revenues, and the surprise was that they rose by 20.6% in 2017 which corresponded to $409 billion by the end of the year.
This sudden growth of an apparently very damaged electronics sector caught many players in the industry by surprise, although it could also give rise to interested practices with which it was convenient to be cautious at the beginning of the boom, now remain steady and growing, at a time very conducive to interesting business opportunities.
Currently, France is coming out of a big explosion of its electronics industry, so it is at the perfect moment of recovery of the balance and settlement of the electronics sector, an exceptional opportunity to consider the exports that may arise within the framework of the European Union, without neglecting the financing of the programs of the French state itself for the development of international business.
10 countries in Europe to export to in 2019
The gastronomic market in France
Barcelona Export forms a new export group in industrial subcontracting for the French market
Spain is one of the world’s largest economies and one of the most active countries in the European Union. Since the opening of borders and the integration of our country into the European common market, the volume of international trade has only increased.
Spanish exports and imports have grown substantially in recent decades to the point where our economy is fully immersed in what is now called globalization. A system of interdependent international and economic relations in which trade in goods and services plays a fundamental role. The Spanish trade balance is the accounting document that compiles all these terms of trade. The latter has always been negative, i.e. we import more than we export.
But what does Spain buy the most and sell the most? In general, there are many misconceptions about the Spanish trade balance. In this article, we have sought to elucidate the keys to what is sold and what is bought most in Spain. In addition, we have researched the most dynamic sectors of activity in Spain that contribute to this trade balance.
During the Spanish crisis in 2012, exports were the most efficient; they continued to grow while the rest of the economy was practically in recession. Spanish exports are therefore very important and are currently booming. The main destinations are Italy, Germany and France.
All sectors of the economy have increased their exports in recent years, with the exception of the automotive sector. In addition, if we look closely at the Spanish trade balance, we will see that it is precisely the fruit and vegetable sector that drives exports because of the good quality and price of Spanish food products. Other products that benefit from strong international demand are wine, olive oil and gourmet products.
Capital goods are also different. All materials needed to build roads, ships and all kinds of heavy machinery would fall into this category. There has been a lot of growth in this sector. Similarly, something similar is happening in the chemical sector, one of the most dynamic during the crisis. The automotive and related sectors have also experienced significant growth.
Finally, the other economically stronger sectors in Spain are textiles, footwear and toys. These three sectors are responsible for a large part of the exports that we can observe in the Spanish trade balance and contribute decisively to the international economic expansion of our country.
Spain is a country with a great diversity and gastronomic culture in general and in the cheese industry in particular. Thanks to the centuries-long tradition of livestock farming, Spanish artisanal cheese products are excellent culinary products and one of the best categories of products with a protected designation of origin. The export of the cheese industry in Spain is increasing year by year, making our best cheeses known on international markets. Exporting is a new way to market our cheeses and many manufacturers already consider this option as a sustainable way to increase their sales. But like any export, this market requires quality products. And in this case nothing better than the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label to give prestige to our cheese industry. Let’s get to know the most important ones.
If we are talking about the important cheese industry in Spain, it is unthinkable not to start with one of the most popular AOC products: Cabrales cheese. Obtained from cow’s, sheep’s and goat’s milk, Cabrales avec is recognizable by its unique blue appearance and characteristic smell.
The cheese of this Asturian village is one of the strongest on the Spanish market. Cylindrical in shape and with flat faces, its height varies from 7 to 15 cm, and its soft and fine natural rind due to maturation in natural caves with high humidity.
The other Asturian PDO cheeses are Gamoneu, Afuega´l Pitu or Casin. All these cheeses are already distributed in the Middle East (particularly in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Dubai and Lebanon).
The dairy product used to make Idiazábal cheese comes from Texel, the sheep breed. Texel is a rustic sheep from this part of the Basque Country, producing a superior quality milk that is highly prized throughout the world, which gives another prestigious aspect to the Spanish cheese industry.
One of the main characteristics of this cheese is that it is made from raw milk, matured for at least 2 months. Its size is small or medium, and it has enzymatic coagulation. It is a hard raw cheese and can be found on the market either smoked or non-smoked.
Other important cheeses from the Cantabrian region with PDO are Picón Bejes or Camerano.
An essential element in Galician gastronomy is Tetilla PDO cheese. Made with cow’s milk from the Frisona, Brown Alpina and Rubia Gallega breeds, it is one of the most representatives in the region. It is particularly recognizable because of its shape, which recalls the nipples of a mother, where the name comes from.
In order to obtain PDO certification, cows and the entire manufacturing process must ensure a series of detailed criteria, ranging from the type of hygiene conditions when milking animals, to production and storage temperatures.
Other important cheeses in the area are Arzúa or Cebreiro.
The export of Galician cheeses is growing 4 times more than the export of other cheeses from the peninsula. Its main target markets are the United States, Asia and Europe.
Manchego cheese is the cheese made in the Castilla-La Mancha region from raw or pasteurised sheep’s milk from the Manchega breed. The maturing lasts at least 70 days.
In the Mediterranean area, there are also major PDO cheeses, such as those from Murcia and the famous Murcia wine cheese. But there is also the Palmero of the Canary Islands or the Ibores cheese, made with goats of the Serranas, Veratas or Retintas breed fed in the Mediterranean forests.
They are by far the most exported and best known Spanish cheeses outside our borders.
The trend of the wine sector in China
Global wine trends and trade shows
The gastronomic market in France
Vinisud and Vinovision 2019, two major French wine shows
A new edition of Sial Paris is coming
The organic wine market in France
Case of success: La Cuina de la Iaia and its gourmet croquettes
Europe is the old continent and on many occasions this vision can lead people to think that it is not a dynamic market in which to invest, preferring other emerging economies such as those of Asian, African or Latin American countries. But the truth is that we have 10 countries in Europe where we export many of our products because they enjoy great economic and commercial dynamism.
Europe’s economy, in spite of the crisis, continues to be one of the main poles of the world and that is that the continent located between the Urals and the Atlantic can be measured in economic terms with the United States on a one-to-one basis. However, not all European countries have the same economic importance and not all their economies are equally attractive for export. That’s why we bring here the ranking of the top 10 European countries to export to:
1. Switzerland: Switzerland is not usually one of the first countries in Europe to export to, but in fact it is one of the most dynamic and with the greatest capacity to pay in the whole of the European area. Furthermore, although it does not belong to the EU, it does belong to EFTA, so trade barriers are the minimum possible.
2. Germany: Undoubtedly the first or one of the first countries in Europe where to export; the European giant and engine of the EU is and remains one of the main options to consider when making investments and exports. Spanish products, whether agri-food or industrial, are very well accepted.
3. Finland: This European economy, traditionally linked to the economic space of the USSR, is one of the best countries in which to export products, as the industry is not sufficiently diversified and its capacity to pay is high.
4. United Kingdom: Despite the recent approval of Brexit, everything seems to indicate that the United Kingdom will continue to be part of Europe when it comes to talking about trade. In any case, it is a scenario that will vary substantially in the coming months and which may present good opportunities for export.
5. Norway: Like Switzerland, it is not in the EU but in EFTA. It is another of the best export options and a good EU economy.
6. Belgium: Although Belgium has relatively high taxes on labour, goods and companies do not encounter these obstacles, so the EU host state is a good alternative when it comes to exporting.
7. Luxembourg: Although it is a small market, Luxembourg is one of the most important economies in the EU and an option to take into account for exports.
8. Denmark: The Danish economy is one of the most flourishing economies in the Baltic area and a good option for investment and exports due to its strong dynamism.
9. The Netherlands: An economy very similar to the Belgian economy with a fairly unified and compact market; it is a country very focused on the service sector where it is perfectly possible to compete in that and other sectors.
10. Sweden: One of the most powerful and developed European economies in the world is Sweden, which is an excellent destination for exports due to the high purchasing power of its citizens.
China’s economy has gone from being an agricultural giant to an industrial and technological giant in just three decades. And while growth forecasts for the next few years are not as spectacular as they once were, China’s economy promises to continue imposing its law on international markets.
It is the second largest economy in the world, behind only the United States. According to different forecasts and studies, it will be the first in just a few years. Not surprisingly, analyzing its unstoppable rise and the macroeconomic figures it presents, in continuous rise since the 80s. No one doubts that the Asian giant will dominate the world economy in the coming years. Already today, it plays a predominant role in most of the world’s economic and business sectors.
It is the country with the fastest economic growth in the world since the 1980s, with an average annual growth of 10% in the last thirty years and its GDP is unattainable for any other world economy with almost 9.2 trillion euros. It has weathered the storm of the global economic crisis by increasing its GDP in 2014 by an impressive 7.4%. But the growth of China’s economy has been the lowest in 24 years, since the 1990 Tiananmen revolt and its repression drastically slowed the growth of the second world economy. Nevertheless, positive figures and a fact that is more than enviable for any economy -developed or not- of the world that, without a doubt, have been achieved thanks to a labor force of 797 million people and an unemployment that only affects 6% in a country of 1,344,130,050 people.
In order to understand the secret of China’s economy it is necessary to take into account
-it exports products worth 1.8 billion dollars, and
-is a world leader in a large number of sectors,
-mining and processing of ores, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals, coal;
-construction of machines and armaments;
-Textiles and clothing; petroleum;
-cement;
-chemical products; fertilizers;
-consumer goods, including footwear, toys, and electronics;
-food processing;
-communications equipment, including automobiles, trains, locomotives, ships, and aircraft;
-telecommunications equipment,
-commercial space launch vehicles, and satellites.
Something that, at present, no country in the world can cope with.
According to a recent study by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China’s economy is on the verge of forever leaving growth above 7%, as GDP will expand less, despite still being very powerful for next year and 2020. What does it mean to break the 7% barrier? This scenario has a symbolic meaning but it does not seem to break the Chinese model, in which the government offers economic growth in exchange for so-called social peace. With this study, the IMF has endorsed the fall in the rate of expansion of China’s economy, which is due to Beijing is changing its production model so that the engine of the economy is domestic consumption and not exports, while it is slowing the expansion of credit that threatened to overheat the economy.
Many things have changed in China in recent decades. Before the industrialization plans of the early 50’s, in 1949 for example, the country was eminently rural with a very deficient industrial development and an intensive agriculture, very low investments, there was no hydraulic policy which caused great fluctuations between the dry and rainy years and therefore great imbalances in the markets and, all this, accentuated by a bad transport network. According to UN estimates, in 1947 Chinese per capita income was $40 a year, half of India’s income and well below the world average of around $250. Today, it is the world’s second economic power, despite forecasts of a declining economy. What was and is the secret of its success?
The industrialization of the country, based on the Soviet model, began in the 1950s but it was not until the 1970s that a series of government measures began to permeate the country’s economy. Measures based on economic liberalization and the extension of private property to the detriment of public property. Despite what one might think, the technological revolution has not been the trigger for the Asian giant to play a more than prominent role in the world economy. China’s economic explosion has been driven by non-ICT capital investment and productivity, true secrets that explain almost 90% of the country’s current growth and with which it has managed to oust Japan as Asia’s most important economy and also take away its number two position in the world ranking.
According to a study carried out by the BBVA Foundation and Ivie entitled “The Sources of Economic Growth in Asia“, which details the trajectory of economic growth in Asian countries since 1960, the reforms established in the 1970s pro-market after Mao’s death are regarded as the total take-off of this country’s economy. In 1978, land de-collectivization and the introduction of the family responsibility system developed. This made it possible to retain profits, along with public support aimed at extending technologies in this sector. In other words, production was subject to quotas and fixed prices controlled by the State and the rest was governed by the market. The consequence was an improvement in agricultural productivity.
Liberalization measures were gradually extended. At the end of the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s, the launch of the Coastal Development Strategy favoured the creation of exporting industrial nuclei. This favoured foreign investors in order to facilitate technology transfer, a technique that eventually spread to other regions of the country and had an accelerating effect on China’s economy. The opening of the Shanghai Stock Exchange was another milestone preceding a key period for China: an intense restructuring and privatization of state-owned companies that began to lift the country to the top world positions and achieving that between 1990 and 1997 China grew an annual average of 10%.
With the arrival of 2000, capital investment and improved productivity, up to 4.1% per year, continued to mark China’s unstoppable rise. An improvement in the efficiency with which China brilliantly used the resources of its economy. If in 1980, agriculture represented 36.2% of its total production, according to data published by the Asia Productivity Organization, in 2007, it barely represented 10% and industry already accounted for 49.2% of it. Now all that remains to be done is to wait for this story of dazzling growth to continue in the midst of a vibrant and indecisive world economic outlook.
Global wine trends and trade shows
The gastronomic market in France
The wine market in China, currently the fifth largest, is reorganizing the wine industry worldwide. It tends to become the world’s second largest consumer country after the USA. At the moment it prefers French wines but the potential is enormous since it is a large market, with curiosity and great purchasing power. In the next 5 years consumption increases of 53% are expected, only in this country. But it is important to know that it is a highly competitive market and therefore a strong export experience is needed.
– Chinese consumers prefer red wine (80%) to white (20%)
– Buy regularly online (49%) in a higher percentage than in other countries. They look for information in WeChat and Weibo
– The number of wine consumers in China increases annually.
– Annual import increases exceed 30%.
– The preferred wines at import level: France, Australia, Chile, Spain, Italy, USA
– Annual consumption per capita is 0.5 L.
– The average age of the Chinese consumer is in the range 18-29 years.
– Consume the best known brands, influenced by very prestigious luxury brands
– They prefer very aesthetic packagings and wines with low alcohol content.
– The most consuming cities are: Beijing, Shanghai or Canton
– Their own wine usually costs the consumer twice as much as in Spain.
– Increased knowledge of Spanish wines.
– The HORECA channel represents 2/3 of the total market value.
The gastronomic market in France
Vinisud and Vinovision 2019, two major French wine shows
The organic wine market in France
Vinisud 2018, the French trade-show of the Mediterranean wines
