Press Release 23/06/2025

FOREIGN TRADE STATISTICS (ECOMEX). April 2025

Exports from the Basque Country increased by 4.5% in April 2025

Overall growth in the first four months of 2025 was 2.3%, with a positive trade balance of 1,132 million euros

In April 2025, exports of goods from the Basque Country amounted to 2,652 million euros, 4.5% higher than the same month of the previous year, according to Eustat data. Non-energy exports rose by 1.7%, and energy exports increased by 57.3%.

Imports fell by 14.0%, which meant an increase of 7.8% for non-energy products and a decrease of 27.8% for energy products.

In April 2025 there was a positive trade balance of 378 million euros and a coverage rate of 116.6%.

This month, exports from Bizkaia saw a drop of 3.2%, in Gipuzkoa they rose by 11.1% and in Álava by 8.1%. In the case of Bizkaia, energy exports grew by 58.3% compared to the same month of the previous year.

Products traded in April 2025   

A more detailed look at the products reveals that the ten main customs duty groups accounted for 41.2% of exports, with a combined value of 1,093 million euros.

Four of the top 25 customs duty groups posted noteworthy increases: "Refined petroleum oils" (83.8% with 192.6 million in exports), "Passenger cars with fewer than 10 seats" (59.2% and 268.5 million, representing 10.1% of the total and first place in the export ranking), "Parts of railway or tramway locomotives or rolling stock or similar" (433.1% and 104.1 million) and "Passenger coaches, luggage vans, post office coaches, etc. for railway tracks and similar" with 57.8 million in exports, compared to 257 thousand euros for the same month of the previous year.

Conversely, "New rubber tyres" fell by 28.5%, "Goods transport vehicles" by 12.5% and "Vehicle parts and accessories" by 12.0%.

In the case of imports, the most significant increases in the main 25 customs duty groups were registered in "Goods transport vehicles" (782.5% with 21.5 million in imports, primarily from Germany, with 18.2 million), "Passenger cars with fewer than 10 seats" (298.2% and 45.9 million in imports, also primarily from Germany, 32.7 million) and "Refined petroleum oils" (26.2% with 188.7 million, from: Kuwait 60.5 million, United States 54.9 million, Saudi Arabia 49.2 million and India 18.1 million, among others).

By contrast, there was a drop in imports of "Petroleum oils or oils obtained from bituminous minerals" (-39.0% but taking first place in the import ranking with 359.4 million, representing 15.8% of the total), "Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons" (-44.8% and 43.6 million in imports, almost all from Russia),"Vehicle parts and accessories" (-25.3% and 63.2 million, half from Germany 33.8 million) and "Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, hot-rolled, not clad, plated or coated" (-42.9% and 45.4 million).

ÁLAVA. Exports during April 2025

In Álava, exports grew by 8.1% compared to the same month of the previous year. This is largely attributable to the positive performance of sales of "Passenger cars with fewer than 10 seats" (253.5 million and an increase of 53.0% compared to the same month of the previous year), "Seamless tubes and hollow profiles made of iron or steel" (41.2 million and 30.7%), "Parts of railway or tramway locomotives or rolling stock or similar" (7.8 million and 227.2%) and "Parts of powered or non-powered aircraft, manned or unmanned, and parts of satellites and spacecraft" (15.4 million and a rise of 63.7%).

However, "Goods transport vehicles" fell by 12.6% despite sales worth 95.8 million euros. There was also a drop in "New rubber tyres" (-28.1%).

BIZKAIA. Exports during April 2025

Exports from the province of Bizkaia were down 3.2%, due to decreases in products such as "Vehicle parts and accessories" (-13.4% and down 9.1 million) and "New rubber tyres" (-29.3% and down 9.4 million), among others.

Conversely, there was a significant rise in sales of "Refined petroleum oils" (85.4% and up 87.6 million on the same month of the previous year) and "Soy bean oil" (135.0% and up 19.8 million) and "Plant or animal fats and oils for industrial technical use" (612.7% and up 15.2 million).

GIPUZKOA. Exports during April 2025

Exports from Gipuzkoa rose by 11.1% this month, thanks to the positive performance of most of the principal products, such as: "Parts of railway or tramway locomotives or rolling stock or similar" (451.6% and up 74.2 million on the same month of the previous year), "Electric motors and generators (except electrical generating sets)" (231.2% and up 16.4 million) and "Passenger coaches, luggage vans, post office coaches, etc. for railway tracks and similar" (57.8 million in exports).

Destination countries, April 2025

This month, the top positions in the export ranking were occupied by:

- France: 409.1 million euros’ worth of goods were exported to this country, with a coverage rate of 215.5%.

- Germany: received products from the Basque Country worth 359.2 million euros, with a coverage rate of 101.5%.

- Italy: sales to this country reached 160.9 million euros, with a coverage rate of 164.5%.

- United States: exports to this country amounted to 151.3 million euros, with a coverage rate of 78.7%.

- United Kingdom: where 147.9 million euros’ worth of exports were sent, achieving a coverage rate of 285.0%.

These countries received 46.3% of total exports and three of them form part of the EU27, which accounted for 59.7% of the Basque Country’s exports.

ACCUMULATED TOTAL JANUARY-APRIL 2025: Over the first four months of 2025 as a whole, foreign trade in goods in the Basque Country had a positive balance of 1,132 million euros, with a coverage rate of 112.3%

A rise of 2.3% was registered in exports from the Basque Country in respect of the same period for the previous year, equivalent to an increase of 231.5 million euros. Total exports during this period amounted to 10,298 million euros.

Bizkaia exports were the largest in the Basque Country, with a total of 3,674 million euros, Gipuzkoa accounted for 3,376 million and Álava 3,247 million.

In terms of product type, "Non-energy products" were the most numerous, with 9,831.7 million euros in exports.

A more detailed look at the products reveals an increase (46.1%) in exports of "Passenger cars with fewer than 10 seats" (1,143.2 million in exports), "Parts of railway or tramway locomotives or rolling stock or similar" (244.0% and 213.9 million), "Passenger coaches, luggage vans, post office coaches, etc. for railway tracks and similar" (303.7% with 120.5 million in exports) and "Soy bean oil" (171.9% and 101 million).

The most dramatic drops were in "Vehicle parts and accessories" (down 68.8 million on the previous year, -8.7%), "Goods transport vehicles" (down 113.5 million, -20.4%) and "Refined petroleum oils" (down 122.7 million, -23.8%).   

The export ranking for the first four months of 2025 placed France as the leading recipient of Basque exports, with 15.6% of the total exported (1,605.6 million euros). France was followed by Germany (14.5%, 1,493.3 million euros) and the United Kingdom (6.2%, 641.1 million euros). Between them, these three countries accounted for 36.3% of Basque exports.

Cumulative imports for the Basque Country as a whole amounted to 9,166 million euros. According to the year-on-year comparison, this figure is 14.8 million euros higher than that registered in the same period of the previous year. This slight increase of 0.2% is partly due to the fact that during this period, the province of Álava (with cumulative imports of 2,251.5 million euros) recorded growth of 18.3%, i.e. 347.7 million euros more than during the same period in 2024. Imports also rose in Gipuzkoa by 148.8 million euros (8.5%), reaching a total of 1,905.6 million euros. However, Bizkaia reported a decrease of 8.8% (equivalent to 481.7 million euros), with a total of 5,009.1 million euros. Imports of "Energy products" fell by 16.9%, although those of "Non-energy products" rose by 7.0%.

An analysis of the products/groups imported in this period reveals that the ranking was topped by "Petroleum oils or oils obtained from bituminous minerals" (1,362.6 million euros, 424.2 million less than in the previous year, representing a 23.7% decrease); there was also a fall in the volume imported, dropping 18.1% in this case from 3,400,007 to 2,783,621 tonnes. Second place was taken by "Refined petroleum oils" (606.1 million in imports with a drop of 45.1 million and 6.9%). These groups were followed by "Vehicle parts and accessories" (-15.4% and 283.5 million in imports) and "Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons", with 204.4 million imported, equivalent to an increase of 20.3%.

Foreign trade of goods in the Basque Country during this period recorded a positive balance of 1,131.7 million euros, while the coverage rate stood at 112.3%.

         

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea/Basque Statistics Institute
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tel.: 945 01 75 62