Despite a second half of 2021 that was characterized by supply difficulties and rising inflation, production maintained a growing trend and exports in the province of Alicante have achieved an annual rise somewhat higher than the average in Spain.
According to data from the Institute of Economic Studies of the Province of Alicante (Ineca), the Alicante province noted 533.13 million euro in exports in December and ended 2021 with 6,216.7 million euro, 1.96% of the national total and with an annual variation of 22.2%, slightly higher than the national figure that includes an increase of 21.2% throughout the year. In this way, with these figures, Alicante It ranks 18th in Spain by volume of exports. For its part, within the Valencian Community, Valencia is the third exporting province in the country, and Castelló occupies the eleventh position.
According to the latest Ineca situation report, with data up to the third quarter of 2021, in terms of foreign trade, exports maintained a growing trend until the fall of last year, and in the first nine months of the year sales had increased by20 % compared to the same period in 2020 , and even 10% compared to 2019.
In Spain, the evolution was similar, 22.1% compared to 2020, and 6.7% compared to 2019. With this, according to the study, the participation of Alicante in the national group remained below 2%, exactly 1.95%, when in 2020 it was 1.98% and in 2019 1.88%, so the improvement was minimal, and in any case well below the province’s potential. Finally, the figure has remained at 1.96% in 2021.
In this sense, they highlighted as the main aspect, the low recovery of the footwear market, in fact it is still below the figures for 2019, with 130 million less in combined turnover of footwear and leather. This decrease in billing, in terms of employment, would affect some 1,300 workers who would have lost their jobs until the third quarter of last year.
The exports of the province began the first quarter of 2021 with an annual growth of 2.8% , -39.66 million euro more than the same period of 2020- the exports of footwear and skins then maintained the decrease of 2020, with 32.6 million less than in 2020 and the figure contrasted with the increase in vegetables -30.8 million increase, although fruit also fell 11.5 million.
Delving into the figures, there was a 7% annual cut in imports in the province during the first quarter: 82 million less. In the breakdown by merchandise, the reduction in imports of footwear and skins was repeated for an amount of 67.5 million euro and also of fruit by 43.3 million.
