Automotive Component Manufacturers Exports: Latest Figures 2021

In the second quarter of the year, Spanish automotive component manufacturers' exports reached €6.303 million, with a year-on-year growth rate of +25.4% compared to 2020 and a decrease of -3.7% compared to the same period in 2019.

The Spanish automotive component manufacturing sector demonstrates its dynamism in foreign markets, with internationalization being an essential instrument on the path to economic recovery and the strengthening of this industry.

Exports of Spanish Automotive Component Manufacturers in the EU

Between May and August, the share of Spanish component sales to the European Union (EU27) markets as a percentage of total quarterly exports has decreased to 65%. Sales to EU member states have recorded a year-on-year growth of +20.5%, reaching a figure of €4.097 million. When compared to 2019, this represents only a slight decrease of -1.8%, indicating the sector's competitiveness on the international stage.

In year-on-year terms, sales have increased in EU markets with double-digit growth rates, such as Germany (+18.2%) with sales valued at €1.052 million, France (+15%) with sales worth €938 million, Portugal (+10.9%) with sales of €527 million, Italy (+29%) with sales of €348 million, and Poland (+26.2%) with sales of €221 million.

In the comparison with 2019, notable growth rates are observed in some priority markets for the sector, such as Italy (+7.0%), Poland (+7.7%), Slovakia (+28.4%), or the Netherlands (+25.7%). However, major partners like Germany (-5.9%), France (-6.8%), and Portugal (-8.8%) still report declines.

Exports of Spanish Automotive Component Manufacturers Outside the EU

• Outside the European Union, similar trends are observed in the main destination markets for Spanish automotive component exports, with double and triple-digit year-on-year growth rates.
• The United Kingdom is the top destination for Spanish exports, with a figure of €321 million, showing a +6.5% growth compared to 2020, although there is a -32% decline compared to 2019.
• The United States reports a year-on-year growth rate of +55.4% compared to 2020, with total exports of €362 million, which also represents a +12% increase compared to 2019.
• Morocco, with a growth rate of +32.7% and sales of €280 million, is the third most significant destination outside the EU. In comparison to the same period in 2019, there is only a slight decline of -2.1%.
• China reaches €209 million, with Spanish exports growing by +35.8% compared to 2020, and by 40.7% compared to the same period in 2019. The dynamism of this market has increased its share of total quarterly exports.
• Markets like Mexico and Brazil not only perform well compared to 2020, with year-on-year growth rates of +90.6% and +127.9%, respectively, but also show growth of +1.7% and +24.1% compared to the same period in 2019.
• Other significant export markets, such as Turkey (+16.9% compared to 2020), Japan (+121.5% compared to 2020), or South Africa (+63.2% compared to 2020), have yet to recover pre-pandemic (2019) revenue levels, with declines of 10%, -27%, and -10.7%, respectively.

In this regard, Mª Begoña Llamazares, Market Manager at SERNAUTO, an association that belongs to the Autoparts from Spain platform, emphasizes the importance of international trade and the sector's positioning in foreign markets: "The export figures of Spanish automotive component manufacturers show the resurgence of global production and trade growth in certain regions and countries during the analyzed period. Markets such as the European Union, the United States, or China have been key for automotive suppliers in the path to revenue recovery, as well as the increase in diversification of the sector's commercial partners. A notable aspect of the analyzed period is the increase in global trade in goods in certain economies compared to the pre-pandemic period. However, current disruptions related to the supply are generating tensions in the supply chain and affecting trade flows, whose strong dynamism has been based on the recovery of demand in both developed economies and certain emerging markets.