Press Release 18/07/2025

FOREIGN TRADE STATISTICS (ECOMEX). May 2025

Exports of goods from the Basque Country were down 10.1% in May 2025

In the cumulative period of the first five months of 2025, exports fell by 0.6%, but there was still a positive trade balance of over 1,677 million euros

In May 2025, exports of goods from the Basque Country recorded a year-on-year decrease of 10.1%, according to Eustat data. They totalled 2,687 million euros, compared to 2,990 million in the same month of the previous year. Exports of Energy products fell by 57.0% and those of Non-energy products were down 4.8%.

Bizkaia saw exports decline by 17.9% and in Gipuzkoa they fell by 13.6%, while in Álava on the other hand, exports were up 6.7%.

Imports of goods to the Basque Country experienced a drop of 10.9%, reaching 2,141 million euros. Energy imports were down 63.8%, and Non-energy imports increased by 10.9%.

The trade balance was positive (545.8 million) and the coverage rate stood at 125.5%.

Imports were up 23.1% in Álava and 7.5% in Gipuzkoa, while in Bizkaia they were down 28.2%.

Products traded in May 2025   

A more detailed look reveals that the five main export duty groups this month were: "Passenger cars with fewer than 10 seats" (283.8 million exported, 95 million more than the same month of the previous year, and an increase of 50.3%), "Vehicle parts and accessories" (176.9 million exported, down 34.6 million and 16.3%), "Goods transport vehicles" (153.0 million, 37.5 million more and an increase of 32.4%), "Refined petroleum oils" (115.4 million in exports, down 169.9 million from the previous year, a drop of 59.6%) and "Hollow tubes and profiles, seamless, made of iron or steel" (53.1 million in exports, up 10 million and 23.1%). These five groups accounted for 29.1% of the total in May, with a combined value of 782.1 million euros.

ÁLAVA. Exports during May 2025

In Álava, the two main customs duty groups, "Passenger cars with fewer than 10 seats" (271.4 million) and "Goods transport vehicles" (152.7 million), registered significant increases in respect of the previous year, with a decline of 51.1% for the former and 32.7% for the latter. Significant increases were also seen in "Hollow tubes and profiles, seamless, made of iron or steel" (22.6%) and "Parts of railway or tramway locomotives or rolling stock or similar" (299.4%).

BIZKAIA. Exports during May 2025

In Bizkaia, the drop in its main customs duty group, "Refined petroleum oils", stood out (-60.1%) as well as the growth in "Unrefined copper and copper anodes for electrolytic refining" (142.0%), "Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, not clad, plated or coated >599mm" (35.4%) and "Pneumatic tyres of rubber" (28.9%), among the most important groups.

GIPUZKOA. Exports during May 2025

In Gipuzkoa, the growth in "Passenger coaches, luggage vans, post office coaches, etc. for railway tracks and similar" was significant, as well as in "Electric motors and generators (excl. generating sets)" with a 17.7% and 131.7% increase respectively. However, exports of "Profiles of iron or non-alloy steel" shrank (-47.6%), as did those of "Parts of railway or tramway locomotives or rolling stock or similar" (-40.6%) and "Other articles of iron or steel" (-29.1%).

Analysis of imports revealed that this month "Refined petroleum oils" (145.8 million in imports and 6.8% of the total) topped the ranking, coming ahead of "Petroleum oils or oils obtained from bituminous minerals" (107.3 million, 5.0% of the total), a phenomenon that has not been seen since February 2014, and which has occurred 10 times in the last 25 years. Among the largest customs duty groups, growth was seen in "Passenger cars with fewer than 10 seats" (144.7% with 65.4 million acquired, almost all of which from Álava), "Foundry scrap, iron or steel" (33.7%), and "Diesel or semi-diesel engines" (53.1%).

Destination countries, May 2025

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

- Germany: 413.7 million euros’ worth of goods were exported to this country, with a coverage rate of 102.7%

- France: received products from the Basque Country worth 353.6 million euros, with a coverage rate of 189.4%.

- United States: absorbed exports amounting to 191.6 million euros with a coverage rate of 180.2%.

- United Kingdom: where 178.4 million euros’ worth of Basque exports were sent, achieving a coverage rate of 333.3%.

- Italy: sales to this country reached 144.0 million, with a coverage rate of 130.3%.

These countries absorbed 1,281.3 million, 47.7 % of total exports; three of them belong to the EU27, which accounted for 60.4% of exports.

In the cumulative total for January to May 2025: the foreign trade balance generated a surplus of 1,677 million euros and the coverage rate stood at 114.8%

For the first five months as a whole, and for exports from the Basque Country, a contraction of 0.6 % was registered in respect of the same period of the previous year, which represented a decrease of 71.8 million euros. The total amount of exports in this period was 12,984.5 million.

Bizkaia exports were the largest in the Basque Country, with a total of 4,671.7 million euros, Gipuzkoa accounted for 4,242.7 million and Álava 4,070.1 million.

In terms of the type of product, "Non-energy products" were the most numerous, with 12,385.9 million euros and an increase of 2.2%, compared with energy products, with 598.5 million, indicating a year-on-year fall of 36.4%.

A more detailed look at the products/customs duty groups reveals an increase of 46.9%) in exports of "Passenger cars with fewer than 10 seats" (1,427.0 million in exports), "Parts of railway or tramway locomotives or rolling stock or similar" (154.6% and 240.8 million), "Passenger coaches, luggage vans, post office coaches, etc. for railway tracks and similar" (133.6% with 171.6 million in exports) and "Soy bean oil" (202.4% and 112.4 million).

The most dramatic drops were in "Vehicle parts and accessories" (down 103.3 million on the previous year, -10.3%), "Goods transport vehicles" (down 76.1 million, -11.3%) and "Refined petroleum oils" (down 292.6 million, -36.6%) and "New rubber tyres" (down 117.1 million and -23.6%).

The export ranking for the first five months of 2025 placed France as the leading recipient of Basque exports, with 15.1% of the total exported (1,959.3 million euros). France was followed by Germany (14.7%, 1,906.9 million euros) and the United Kingdom (6.3%, 819.6 million euros). Between them, these three countries accounted for 36.1% of Basque exports.

Cumulative imports for the Basque Country as a whole amounted to 11,307 million euros. This figure is 246.3 million euros down on the equivalent for the same period of the previous year. This decrease of 2.1% was largely due to the fact that in this period the province of Bizkaia (with cumulative imports of 6,050.6 million) registered a downturn of 12.8%, i.e. 889.9 million less than during the same period of 2024. Imports rose in Gipuzkoa by 183.8 million euros (8.3%), reaching a total of 2,407.7 million euros. Álava. an increase of 19.2 % was seen (up 459.7 million), with a total of 2,848.6 million. Imports of "Energy products" fell by 26.8%, although those of "Non-energy products" rose by 7.8%.

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" (1,469.9 million euros, albeit 842.5 million less than in the previous year, representing a 36.4% decrease); there was also a fall in the volume imported, dropping 29.8 % in this case from 4,333,344 to 3,044,038 tonnes. Second place was taken by "Refined petroleum oils" (751.9 million in imports with a drop of 72.6 million and 8.8%). These groups were followed by "Vehicle parts and accessories" (-12.4% and 359.9 million imported) and "Foundry scrap, iron or steel" (+35.8% and 230.4 million imported).

Foreign trade of goods in the Basque Country during this period recorded a positive balance of 1,677.5 million euros, while the coverage rate stood at 114.8%.

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