Despite the global uncertainty we are experiencing, exports from Spanish automotive suppliers have shown an increase in sales compared to the first quarter of 2020. According to data from SERNAUTO, the Spanish Association of Automotive Manufacturers and the driving force behind our initiative, Autoparts from Spain, exports of Spanish automotive equipment and components reached 5.024 million euros between May and August 2020. This figure represents a 23.2% reduction compared to the same period in 2019; however, a slight recovery is already evident compared to the data from the first quarter of the year, which recorded a 26.2% decline.
This decline is in line with the contraction of economic activity, impacting both vehicle production and the aftermarket demand globally, with a particular impact on priority markets for the automotive sector.
In comparison with the first quarter of this year, sales have increased with half of our trading partners: Portugal (+6.4%), Italy (+4.8%), Poland (+1.1%), the Czech Republic (+6.4%), Slovakia (+3.9%), Slovenia (+18.6%), or the Baltic countries.
Even sales have increased in countries such as Greece (+13.9%), Bulgaria (+4.8%), Malta (+26.4%), and Estonia (+15.2%); however, significant declines are also recorded in the four major trading partners within this regional block:
During the second quarter of the year, exports outside the European Union witnessed two significant changes. On the one hand, markets like China stand out for their positive contribution to the variation in exports, with an increase of 3.6% compared to the same period of the previous year. South Korea, with a 30% increase, and Australia, with a 25% increase, reflect the gradual recovery of Southeast Asian and Oceanic economies.
On the other hand, there is a decline in exports to the United Kingdom, now considered a "third country," with a figure of 302 million euros, showing a significant decrease of 36.1%, the highest rate within the European region.
As for the rest, here are the main figures:
One of the main hallmarks of the Spanish automotive supplier sector, its exporting nature, has been deeply affected by the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global and regional trade. However, the sector is immersed in an intense process of transformation, on the path towards a more decarbonized economy, addressing the challenges of digitization, connectivity, automation, all under the premise of sustainability.