Catalan exports' upward trend halted due to Covid-19

Covid-19 has had a direct impact on Catalan exports, which had been on the rise for the past nine consecutive years, reaching an all-time high 73.8 billion euros in 2019. 

Yet, the international sales fell by 13.2% in March compared to the same month last year, totaling 5.57 billion euros. 

On March 14, the state of alarm was introduced in Spain to fight the spread of the coronavirus. 

The data for the first quarter of this year, revealed on Tuesday, shows a fall in exports of 3.1% (17.41 billion euros) on the first three months of last year. 

In Spain, the drop was similar: 14.5% in March, and 3% between January and March. 

As usual, chemical products accounted for the biggest share of the exports (32.5%), and they increased by 5.5% in March despite the crisis. Capital goods (16.8% of total) dropped by 16.3%, with food, drinks and tobacco (16.5%) coming third after growing 19.5%. 

In February, when the outbreak of Covid-19 began in Europe, exports rose by 2.1% in Catalonia.