Catalan exports drop 4.8% in September but surpass last year's figure by 10%

Catalan exports dropped by 4.8% in September compared to last year's figure, totaling €7.8 billion, as figures published by Spain's industry, trade and tourism ministry on Friday show.

In the year to date, sales of goods abroad have reached €76.43bn.

Compared to the same month of 2019, the last year before the pandemic, exports are up by 27%.

Comparing the accumulated figures, sales abroad have surpassed by 9.8% last year's numbers reaching €76.43 billion.

Chemical products are Catalonia's biggest export, accounting for 28.4% of the total, with sales worth €2.21 billion.

Food, beverages, and tobacco are next, worth €1.28 billion, and totaling 16.4% of the overall. Sales in the automotive sector rank third, with a value of €1.19 billion, a share of 15.2%.

The drop comes after the automation industry registered 5.9% lower sales, and the food market 0.15% lower compared to last year's.

Comparing industry data to last year, automotive sales are up 62.4% in the first nine months of 2022, while sales abroad of chemical products grew by 7.2%.

Catalan exports represented 25.2% of Spain's sales abroad in September, and since January, they represent 26.6%.