Catalonia's exports have reached a historic high of 100.779 billion euros in 2025, representing a 0.6% increase compared to the previous year, according to calculations by ACCIÓ, the agency for business growth under the Department of Business and Labour. This figure, announced on 19 February 2026, highlights the region's resilience and adaptability in the face of global economic challenges.
Despite a backdrop of increasing protectionism, this marks the third consecutive year that Catalonia's exports have surpassed the 100 billion euro mark. The region continues to lead Spain's overall exports, accounting for 26% of the national total.
Miquel Sàmper, the conseller (councillor) for Business and Labour, stated that these results demonstrate "the resilience and capacity for diversification of Catalonia's companies in a complex and uncertain global environment." He emphasised that surpassing the 100 billion euro threshold again reflects the international strength of Catalonia's business sector.
The Government has been proactive in supporting Catalan businesses through the Responem Plan and various ACCIÓ initiatives. Sàmper noted that ACCIÓ's network of 40 Foreign Trade and Investment Offices has facilitated nearly 3,000 internationalisation projects for Catalan firms, a 17% increase from 2024.
According to ACCIÓ, the growth in 2025 is attributed to a shift in export focus towards Asia (+7.6%), Africa (+12.5%), and the Middle East (+15.3%). In contrast, exports to Latin America fell by 14%, and those to North America decreased by 2.2%. The decline in North American exports is largely due to a 3.4% drop in sales to the United States, influenced by new tariff policies.
Notably, exports to countries such as South Korea (+25.2%), China (+13.7%), Vietnam (+11.1%), and India (+4.4%) have seen significant growth, alongside African markets like Ghana (+55.9%) and Ivory Coast (+49.4%). Following the lifting of a blockade on exports to Algeria, Catalan sales to this country quadrupled in 2025.
In response to the challenging international landscape, the Government has developed a new Internationalisation Strategy for the Catalan economy for 2026-2030. This strategy, created through an unprecedented participatory process involving over 110 companies and entities, aims to establish 2,000 new exporting firms, increase the number of regular exporters to 19,000, and boost the number of Catalan companies with foreign subsidiaries to 3,500.
One key initiative within this strategy is the new 'Catalonia Exporta' programme, launched by ACCIÓ, which will support 2,000 Catalan companies in starting their export journeys through training, specialised guidance, and mentorship.
As Catalan companies prepare for 2026, they will face challenges in a global context marked by intensifying competition between the United States and China, as well as the emergence of new players from the Global South. The ACCIÓ report on global risks and trends for 2026 highlights the increasing transactionalism and multialignment in international relations, rising conflicts, and the urgent need for businesses to enhance risk management and adopt more resilient and diversified models.
