Beyond Germany, China leads the Spanish import market

The straight line between Madrid and Beijing is nearly 10000 kilometers apart, but in terms of overseas procurement, the preferred choice for Spanish companies is no longer neighboring France, nor is it industrial powerhouse Germany. "The Spanish newspaper" El Pais "reported on the 21st that according to recent data released by the Spanish government, in the first quarter of this year, China replaced Germany, the largest economy in the eurozone, and became Spain's largest source of goods imports.

According to reports, in the first quarter of this year, Spain's total purchases of goods from China exceeded 12.5 billion euros, which is on par with Spain's total purchases from the entire Americas. Despite the strong strength of American multinational corporations and Spain's deep historical ties with Latin American countries, the export momentum of "Made in China" is being fully unleashed, and its share in the Spanish import market is constantly expanding. Currently, 11.6% of Spain's imported goods come from China, slightly higher than Germany's 11.4%.

Data shows that in the past five years, Germany's import share in Spain has remained stable at around 11%, while China's share is gradually increasing and will show a significant leap in 2025, starting to closely catch up with Germany and effectively challenge its top position in the Spanish import market.

According to the Spanish daily Pioneer 19, after a temporary slowdown due to the Chinese Spring Festival holiday, the current trade data between China and the West is showing a strong momentum of growth. In March of this year, Spain's exports to China reached nearly 700 million euros, an increase of 12.7%, setting a new annual high; The value of imported goods is nearly 4.7 billion euros, an increase of 14.7%.

The Spanish newspaper commented that it is not new for China to become Spain's largest supplier - in the past five years, this position has been alternately occupied by China and Germany. It is worth noting that this position change is particularly crucial at a time when global trade is struggling to cope with the impact of the US Israel Iran conflict.

According to reports, against the backdrop of sustained inflation, purchasing goods from China has helped many Spanish companies enhance their competitiveness, as Chinese products are more cost-effective. In addition, this also allows ordinary Spanish families to alleviate the pressure of living expenses in areas such as automobiles and other large consumption sectors. Automobiles are one of the strongest growth areas for Chinese products in the Spanish market. This is mainly due to the fact that electric vehicles in China are usually more affordable than similar products in Europe or the United States.

According to the analysis of the National News, the growth trend of West China trade will continue to improve, and high-level exchanges will continue to deepen the economic linkage between the two countries. Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez has visited China four times in the past four years, with the highest frequency among all European leaders.