Exports in Catalonia rose by 2.1% in February, before Covid-19 crisis

Exports rose in Catalonia in February by 2.1% compared to 12 months before, reaching 5.97 billion euros, according to figures released by Spain’s industry ministry on Tuesday. The sectors with the biggest share of exports were again chemicals (1.58 billion), accounting for more than a quarter of the total, and followed by capital goods (1.05 billion) and the automobile industry (866 million). International sales in Catalonia accounted for 24.9% of Spain’s total in the second month of 2020.

As for imports, they were worth 7.32 billion euros in February, a fall of 4.3% on last year, and they accounted for 28% of Spain’s total. The figures reflect the situation of exports in the country right before the Covid-19 crisis began.

In 2019, Catalonia had beaten its record in international sales for the ninth year in a row, with exports amounting to more than 73 billion euros, some 3% more than the previous year. Despite February’s favorable figures, however, all seems to indicate March’s will not be as positive due to the effects of the public health crisis, especially when considering the Barcelona Port’s 8% decrease in traffic last month as well as its 19% drop in TEUs.

Seat and Nissan to resume production

Catalan automaker Seat intends to resume vehicle production on Monday, although unions say that over 9,300 of 11,000 employees will be immediately subject to a new temporary redundancy scheme allowing the firm to temporarily lay-off workers during the health crisis.

Unions say that Monday will see the start of a second temporary redundancy period for 88% of the workforce in Seat’s Martorell plant, with a second phase seeing the return of 40% of staff, and then a third phase with 3,500 employees, or 33% of staff, still off work.

The other large automaker in Catalonia, Japanese firm Nissan, says it will resume production at its plant in Barcelona’s Zona Franca industrial estate on May 4, although there is still no return date for its plant in Montcada i Reixac, near the Catalan capital.

On Wednesday, however, Nissan unions in both plants called an indefinite strike “until the immediate future of factories is clarified.” Following a meeting between workers and management all unions – CCOO, UGT, USOC and CGT – called on workers not to go to work on May 4. Nissan’s factories have been losing production volume year after year and the company has been studying the viability of its facilities since the beginning of the year.