Press release 22/12/2025

FOREIGN TRADE STATISTICS (ECOMEX). October 2025

Exports of goods from the Basque Country were down 9.4% in October 2025

In the first ten months of 2025 as a whole, exports fell 4.3%, with downward pressure from energy products (-40.1%)

In October 2025, exports of goods from the Basque Country recorded a decrease of 9.4% in year-on-year terms, according to Eustat data. They totalled 2,829.4 million euros, compared to 3,122.3 million in the same month of the previous year. Exports of Energy products fell by 39.8% and those of Non-energy products were down 6.9%.

The trade balance was positive this month, standing at around 515.2 million euros, with a coverage rate of 122.3%.

Bizkaia was the province that registered the greatest drop (-16.0%), due to the decrease in exports of both Non-energy products (-10.3%) and, above all, Energy products, which reached -40.2%. In Álava, exports as a whole were down 9.1%, and in Gipuzkoa they fell by 1.5%.

Imports of goods to the Basque Country saw a 5.2% decrease, reaching a total of 2,314.3 million euros. Energy imports fell by 16.2% and non-energy imports decreased by 1.6%. Imports were down 7.1% in Bizkaia and 5.4% in Álava, while imports to Gipuzkoa grew by 0.7%.

Analysis by product (Customs Duty Group)

A more detailed analysis reveals that the ranking of 969 export headings was led by "Passenger cars with fewer than 10 seats" with 300.8 million traded and a drop of 5.6% compared to the same month of the previous year; "Vehicle parts and accessories" (177.3 million, down 13.6%), "Goods transport vehicles" (156.5 million exported and up 18.2%), "Refined petroleum oils" (129.4 million, a drop of 16.3%) and "Vehicle parts for railways or similar", in fifth place with 70.9 million and an increase of 169.2% in this case. These five groups accounted for 29.5% of total sales in October, with a combined value of 834.9 million euros.

Among the top 25 headings, it is worth highlighting the year-on-year increases in "Carriages for passengers, luggage, mail, etc. for railways and similar" (57.0%), "Turbo-reactors, turbo-propellers and other gas turbines, and their parts and components" (24.1%) and "Electric transformers, static converters and inductors" (25.9%)".

Also of note, but in the opposite direction, is the decrease in "Iron or non-alloy steel sections" with 48.7 million in exports, down 21.7 million on the previous year, representing a decrease of 30.8.%; "New rubber tyres", which fell from 92.2 million in October 2024 to 40.7 million in the same month this year, amounting to a negative difference of 55.9%; and "Seamless tubes and hollow profiles made of iron or steel", which were down 40.5%.

Among the top ten headings in Álava, it is worth highlighting the rise in exports of "Goods transport vehicles" (18.1%) and "Nickel tubes, pipes and tube or pipe fittings (for example, couplings, elbows, sleeves)" (925.4%).

By contrast, there was a drop in sales of "Vehicle parts and accessories" (-27.2%), "Seamless tubes and hollow profiles made of iron or steel" (-42.5%) and "New rubber tyres" (12.3 million in exports, down 47.9 million on the previous year, representing a decrease of 79.6%).

Compared to October in the previous year, the headings in the vehicle sector fell by 47.6 million, from 532.4 to 484.8 million, down 8.9%.

Among the top ten headings in Bizkaia, it is worth highlighting the rise in exports of "Turbo-reactors, turbo-propellers and other gas turbines, and their parts and components" (46.7 million in exports, up 9.6 million on the previous year, amounting to a 25.9% increase) and "Boards, panels and bases for the control or distribution of electricity", with 17.6 million in exports, up 54.8%.

By contrast, there was a drop in sales of "Refined petroleum oils" (127.1 million in exports, down 25.1 million on the previous year, representing a fall of -16.5%), "Vehicle parts and accessories" (-24.0%) and "Unfilleted frozen fish" (-24.7%).

In Gipuzkoa, there were noteworthy improvements in "Railway or tramway parts and accessories" (271.7%) with 67.2 million in exports, "Carriages for passengers, luggage, mail, etc. for railways and similar" (57.2%) with 50.9 million in exports and "Electric motors and generators (except electrical generating sets)" (58.8%) with 21.2 million in exports. By contrast, there was a drop in sales of "Iron or non-alloy steel sections" (down 21.8 million euros on October 2024, -32.3%), "Taps, valves and similar appliances for pipes" (down 8.7 million and 19.8%) and "Vehicles for transporting 10 or more people, including the driver" with 21.3 million in exports and a decrease of 28.8%

Imports of "Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, clad, plated or coated" rose by 62.4% and those of "Refined petroleum oils" fell by 52.4%

An analysis of imports by customs duty group reveals that the most significant group, "Petroleum oils or oils obtained from bituminous minerals", representing 16.3% of the total, registered a decrease of 13.3%. There was also a significant rise (62.4%) in "Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, clad, plated or coated", from 28.5 to 46.3 million and "Telephones and other apparatus for transmission or reception of voice, images or data" (335.8%). By contrast, there was a significant drop in imports of "Refined petroleum oils" (-52.4%), from 204.1 to 97.1 million, "Vehicle parts and accessories" (-25.6%), from 90.8 million to 67.5 million in imports and "Petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons" (-51.1%), from 65.2 to 31.9 million.

Source/destination countries, October 2025

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

- Germany: received products from the Basque Country worth 441.9 million euros, with a coverage rate of 129.6%.

-France: exports to the country were worth 424.6 million euros, with a coverage rate of 226.2%.

- United Kingdom: exports amounted to 194.8 million euros, with a coverage rate of 321.0%.

- Italy: where exports were sent in the amount of 168.3 million euros, attaining a coverage rate of 132.8%.

- Portugal: sales to this country stood at 129.2 million, with a coverage rate of 186.7%.

These five countries made up 48.0% of all exports, four of them belonging to the EU-27 grouping, which accounted for 61.3% of exports.

This month, imports primarily came from, in order: Germany (341.0 million), France (187.7 million), China (169.4 million), Mexico (139.9 million) and the United States (137.1 million).

In the first ten months of 2025 as a whole, exports fell by 4.3%, down 1,116.7 million euros on the same period in 2024

For the first ten months overall, a drop of 4.3% was registered for exports from the Basque Country compared to the same period in the previous year, representing a decrease of 1,116.7 million euros with total exports amounting to 25,088.3 million euros over this period.

Bizkaia exports were the largest in the Basque Country, with a total of 9,021.2 million euros, Gipuzkoa accounted for 8,560.1 million and Álava 7,507.0 million. Exports from Bizkaia fell by 12.0% and from Álava by 0.5%. Exports from Gipuzkoa were down 1.8% on the previous year.

As regards product types, "Non-energy products" led the export figures for the region as a whole with 23,987.0 million euros, down 1.6% on the first ten months of 2024. This decrease was not uniform; non-energy exports fell by 5.9% in Bizkaia and just 0.5% in Álava, while in Gipuzkoa they were down 1.8% on the previous year. Exports of "Energy products" saw a decline of 40.1% in the year-on-year comparison.

The "Cars for fewer than 10 people" group led exports, with sales of 2,547.7 million and an upturn of 17.1%. The biggest rises in exports among the main customs duty groups were seen in "Carriages for passengers, luggage, mail, etc. for railways and similar" (365.4 million in exports, up 100.1%); followed by "Vehicle parts for railways or similar" (430.5 million in exports with an increase of 88.6%) and "Soy oil" with 189.8 million in exports, up 116.2 million on the same period in the previous year (+157.6%). By contrast, three of the main groups fell: "New rubber tyres" (-34.5%, down 305.3 million), "Refined petroleum oils" (-21.7%, down 267.9 million) and "Vehicle parts and accessories" (-15.0%, down 295.9 million).

Germany topped the ranking of destination countries for the first ten months of 2025, receiving 15.0% of total exports, amounting to 3,767.4 million euros. Very close behind was France, with 3,720.6 million (14.8% of the total). Next came the United Kingdom (1,640.7 million, or 6.5%), Italy (1,521.1 million, or 6.1%) and the United States (1,462.8 million, 5.8%), with these five countries together accounting for 48.3% of Basque exports.

Cumulative imports for the Basque Country as a whole amounted to 22,352.7 million euros. A year-on-year comparison reveals a total of 481.4 million, down 2.1% on the same period in the previous year. This drop is the result of Bizkaia (12,042.1 million) buying 9.1% less (-1,201.0 million). Meanwhile, imports grew in Álava, up 513.2 million with a total of 5,585.1 million, and in Gipuzkoa (up 206.4 million), totalling 4,725.5 million.

Imports of "Non-energy products" climbed by 4.8%, although "Energy products" dropped by 21.3%.

The biggest customs duty group, "Petroleum oils or oils obtained from bituminous minerals" fell 27.2%, down 1,149.6 million on the same period of the previous year, with a total of 3,081.1 million. This drop is due in part to the reduction in the price of oil. However, the number of tonnes exported also fell by 15.7%, from 8,077,235 to 6,812,405 tonnes. Imports of crude oil were followed by "Refined petroleum oils" with 1,385.7 million euros (-3.6%). Between them they accounted for 20% of the total.

Foreign trade of goods in the Basque Country from January to October 2025 had a positive balance of 2,735.6 million euros and the coverage rate stood at 112.2%.

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