Andalusia consolidates its position as an export engine to China with a record growth of 64%.

Bilateral trade between Spain and China

Andalusia has registered a historic record in its exports to China, reaching €918 million in the first five months of the year. This milestone represents a year-on-year growth of 64% and positions the region as the national leader, accounting for 27,1% of total Spanish sales to the Asian giant.

Andalusian foreign trade has reached a new milestone in its commercial relations with Asia. Between January and May 2026, Andalusian exports to China reached an impressive €918 million. This volume of business represents the best record for the first five months of the year since comparable databases have been available in 1995. The region's momentum is evident, achieving a 64% increase compared to the same period of the previous year, a figure that shatters the average growth rate for Spain, exceeding it by more than 62 percentage points (the national average grew by a mere 1,5%).

With these figures in hand, Andalusia consolidates its absolute leadership in exports to this market. Its share represents 27,1% of the national total—which stood at €3.387 billion—overtaking other traditional economic powerhouses. Specifically, it surpasses Catalonia (24,7%) by 2,4 percentage points and holds a commanding 15,4-point lead over the Community of Madrid (11,7%), also being the only region in the top three experiencing an upward trend. Thanks to this dynamism, China has now positioned itself as the region's eighth largest global trading partner, absorbing 4,9% of its total worldwide exports.

Huelva, epicenter of trade with the Asian giant

The territorial breakdown confirms Huelva as the undisputed driving force behind the internationalization of the Andalusian economy in the East. The province of Huelva generated 87% of the regional revenue, injecting €801 million thanks to extraordinary growth of 85% . Seville follows at a considerable distance , with sales of €41 million (4,5% of the total and a decrease of 8%), and Malaga , which, with €32 million (3,4%), experienced a solid rebound of 30%, the third largest in the region.

The provincial table is completed by Cadiz (18 million, -25,4%); Granada , which stands out with a rise of 41% to 11 million; Cordoba (8,2 million, -51%); Jaen (4,1 million, -19%); and Almeria , which closes the list increasing its figures by 10,1% to almost 3 million euros.

Metallic minerals lead the trade balance

In the sector analysis, industrial raw materials overwhelmingly dominate transactions. Metallic minerals, slag, and ash (where copper is the absolute protagonist) account for 87% of sales, generating €795 million after a spectacular year-on-year jump of 85%.

In second place is the highly valued olive oil , which reached €41 million, experiencing a slight decline of 5,9% within the overall fats and oils category (€46 million). This is followed by copper and copper products (€18 million, -22,3%) and the strategic meat and edible offal sector (€18 million, +3,7%).

Of particular note is the performance of machinery, appliances, and electrical equipment , which experienced the most significant expansion in the ranking. This segment increased its business volume more than fifteenfold ( +1.508% ), adding €11 million to the balance sheet. Plastics (€4,1 million, +207%) also showed strong growth. Conversely, at the bottom of the list of major sectors, wood and charcoal (€3,2 million, -50%), organic chemicals (€2,8 million, -14,1%), mechanical machinery (€2,6 million, +45%), and aluminum (€2,2 million, -29,6%) all experienced contractions.

These official figures on international investments and transactions are derived from the processing carried out by the Observatory for the Internationalization of the Andalusian Economy, an agency dependent on the public agency Andalucía TRADE , based on the records of the Foreign Trade Statistics of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business.

This outstanding performance puts Andalusian companies in an advantageous position to capitalize on business opportunities in the Chinese market, diversifying destinations and strengthening the brand. Andalucía in the global trade scenario.

Digital Editorial Team eE

Continuous newsroom for Empresa Exterior. A team specializing in real-time monitoring and writing up-to-the-minute daily news on international markets, ensuring constant updates on B2B developments.

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