The Diplomat. 21/07/2018
Spanish merchandise exports grew by 2.8% in the period January-May compared to the same period of the previous year and reached 120,192 million euros, according to the Secretary of State for Commerce yesterday.
In addition, imports increased by 4.4% year-on-year, registering 132,329 million euros. As a result of these data, the trade deficit of the first five months of the year stood at 12,137 million euros, 23.5% more than that registered in the same period of 2017.
Exports to the European Union (66.7% of the total) grew by 3.1% in the first five months of the year. Sales to the euro zone (52.4% of the total) increased by 3.5% and those destined to the rest of the European Union (14.3% of the total), grew by 1.8%.
However, the growth of Spanish exports between January and May is below that registered in the whole of the euro zone (3.7%) and the European Union (3.5%), as well as that of Germany (3 , 2%), Italy (3%), France (2.9%) and the United Kingdom (3.3%). Sales from the United States (9.7%), China (12.3%) and Japan (6.1%) also increased.