Press Release 23/09/2025

FOREIGN TRADE STATISTICS (ECOMEX). July 2025

Exports of goods from the Basque Country grew by 4.1% in July 2025 and imports by 6.2%

Energy product exports, meanwhile, fell by 49.4%

In July 2025, exports of goods from the Basque Country recorded a year-on-year increase of 4.1%, according to Eustat data. They totalled 2,654 million euros, compared to 2,550 million in the same month of the previous year. Exports of energy goods fell by 49.4%, while the figure for non-energy rose by 7.3%.

Álava registered an increase of 10.1% in its exports, and Gipuzkoa 7.5 %; while exports in Bizkaia fell by 4.2%.

Imports of goods in the Basque Country experienced an increase of 6.2%, rising to 2,407 million euros. Energy imports dropped by 7.8%, while non-energy imports climbed by 10.2%.

The trade balance is positive (247 million euros), with the coverage rate standing at 110.2%.

Imports in Álava climbed by 26.5% and in Gipuzkoa 2.6%, while in Bizkaia they dropped by 1.4%.

Analysis by product (Customs Duty Group)

In terms of finer detail, we find that the five main export customs duty groups in July were: "Passenger vehicles for fewer than 10 people" (310.2 million in exports, a year-on-year increase of 85.2 million, or 37.9% higher in relative terms), "Automotive vehicles for goods transport" (170.5 million, an increase of 38.7 million and a relative rise of 29.3%), "Parts and accessories for automotive vehicles" (138.7 million, down by 42.8 million, or -23.6%), "Refined petroleum oils" (57.3 million in exports, a drop of 14.6 million compared with the previous year, equivalent to -20.3%) and "Articles for taps, valves and similar pipework elements" (54.7 million, a rise of 17.3%) These groups account for 27.6% of the total, with an overall value of 731.4 million euros.

In Álava, the main customs duty groups were "Passenger vehicles for fewer than 10 people" (33.2% of the total exported from the province) and "Automotive vehicles for goods transport" (19.8% of the overall figure), registering increases compared with the previous year of the order of 72.7 million (34.3%) and 37.8 million (28.7%), respectively. In contrast, there was a decline in the group "New rubber tyres" (down 34 million, or -74.3%), and also "Parts and accessories for automotive vehicles" (-38.2%, or 19.1 million lower).

In Bizkaia there was a notable increase in "Soy oil", rising from 46 thousand euros in July 2024 to 20.2 million this July, and "Passenger vehicles for fewer than 10 people", with 23.5 million in exports, up 100.8%. By way of contrast, the two largest groups in exports from the province of Bizkaia, "Refined petroleum oils" and "Parts and accessories for automotive vehicles" suffered declines of 21.3% and 28.5%, respectively, falling in absolute terms by 14.8 million in the former case, and 15.1 million in the latter.

In Gipuzkoa there were significant increases in "Automotive vehicles for the transport of ten or more people, including the driver", and "Carriages for passengers, luggage, mail, etc. for railways and similar", climbing by 16.1 and 11.2 million compared with the corresponding period, representing increases of 106.2% and 30.3%, respectively. Meanwhile, there was a decline in exports of the biggest group, "Parts and accessories for automotive vehicles" (-10.9%).

An analysis of the imports reveals that acquisitions of "Passenger vehicles for fewer than 10 people" were three times higher (190.0%), rising from 33.5 to 97.1 million. Substantial growth was also seen in "Articles of precious metal jewellery, including plated or filled" (471.8%, with imports of 33.3 million) and "Refined petroleum oils" (up 18.3%, to 108 million). The largest group, "Crude petroleum or bituminous mineral oils" declined by 12.1% (imports of 359.5 million). Aside from this, another two of the groups in the top ten revealed significant drops in absolute terms: "Parts and accessories for automotive vehicles" (-11.7%, or 10.3 million lower) and "Flat hot-rolled iron or steel products, without alloying, plating or cladding >599 mm" (-36.0%, or 26.1 million lower).

Source/destination countries, July 2025

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

- Germany: received products from the Basque Country worth 431.5 million euros, with a coverage rate of 103.9%.

-France: exports to the country were worth 359.1 million euros, with a coverage rate of 191.8%.

- United Kingdom: exports amounted to 188.9 million euros, with a coverage rate of 339.5%.

-United States: 162.9 million euros of Basque exports went to the country, achieving a coverage rate of 166.0%.

- Italy: sales to this country reached 156.5 million, with a coverage rate of 141.4%.

These five countries made up 48.9% of all exports, three of them belonging to the EU-27 grouping, which accounts for 59% of exports.

In the cumulative figure for the first seven months of 2025, exports were 5,331 euros down on the same period in 2024, with a positive trade balance of 2,360 million euros

Overall for the first seven months, exports from the Basque Country hardly change (-0.03%) compared to the same period of the previous year, equivalent to 5,331 euros lower, with the overall export figure for the period being 18,371 million.

Bizkaia exports were the largest in the Basque Country, with a total of 6,402.9 million euros, Gipuzkoa accounted for 6,163.4 million and Álava 5,804.8 million.

Looking at product types, overall for the Basque Country "Non-energy products" led the export figures with 17,631.1 million euros, 3.0% more than in the first seven months of 2024. This figure was not uniform: exports from Bizkaia suffered a drop of 10.2%, while those from Álava and Gipuzkoa outstripped the previous year's numbers by 8.4% and 4.6%, respectively. In turn, exports of "Energy products" saw a decline of 41.1% in the year-on-year comparison.

The group "Cars for fewer than 10 people" led exports, with sales of 2,038.3 million, up by 39.0%. Among the 25 main groups, the biggest export increases, in excess of 100%, was seen in "Carriages for passengers, luggage, mail, etc. for railways and similar" (exports of 278.4 million, an increase of 106.4%); followed by "Soy oil" (exports of 139.6 million, 156.3% higher) and "Vehicle parts for railways or similar" with exports of 319.7 million, 153.1 million higher than the same period the previous year. Notable progress was likewise seen in such groups as "Turbo-jets, turbo-props and other gas turbines, including their parts and components" (up 42.4 million) and"Articles for taps, valves and similar pipework elements" (46.0 million higher).

Meanwhile, three of the main groups registered downturns: "Parts and accessories for automotive vehicles" (-11.9%, or 164.3 million lower), "New rubber tyres" (-29.0%, or 187.2 million lower) and "Refined petroleum oils" (-34.2%, or 325.8 million lower).

The ranking for these first seven months of 2025 makes Germany the leading destination country, receiving 15.1% of total exports, totalling 2,775.8 million euros. It is followed very close behind by France, with 2,701.2 million (14.7% of the total). Next come the United Kingdom (1,203.3 million, or 6.5%), the United States (1,106.8 million, or 6.0%) and Italy (1,086.2 million, 5.9%), with these five countries together accounting for 48.3% of Basque exports.

Cumulative imports for the Basque Country as a whole amounted to 16,011 million euros. A year-on-year comparison reveals that the total is 76 million lower than that registered for the same period the previous year. This drop is the result of Bizkaia (8,464 million) importing 9.8% less (924 million). Meanwhile, imports grew in Álava, up 658 million to give a total of 4,191.8 million, and in Gipuzkoa, up by 189.7 million, for a total of 3,354.7 million.

Imports of "Non-energy products" climbed by 8.0%, although "Energy products" dropped by 23.3%.

Foreign trade of goods in the Basque Country from January to July 2025 had a positive balance of 2,360 million euros and the coverage rate reached 114.7%.

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