Spain and Algeria moving towards normalization diplomatic relations Following the shock of the Spanish Government due to the change in its historical position in Western Sahara and its support for the autonomist positions advocated by Morocco. After the crisis, the thaw began. Last December, Algeria sent a new ambassador to Madrid after more than a year and a half of lack of representation, and Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares will confirm the new tone of relations with an official visit to Algeria next week.
The diplomatic crisis between Algeria and Madrid has directly affected the commercial relations between both countries, and the situation in this area has begun to reverse, albeit timidly for now. Algeria has begun to partially lift the import ban on Spanish productsThe event reduced trade to the Maghreb country to historical lows and caused a billion-dollar loss in the Spanish trade balance.
On June 9, 2022, the Government of Algeria ordered the freezing of direct debits regarding payments for products imported from Spain. Since then the blockade has become almost total. Until now. Last January, the Algerian Association of Banks allowed payment for imports. poultry products Products purchased this week from Spain (mainly fattening chickens and hatching eggs) fresh red meatAs confirmed by government sources from the Prensa Ibérica group to El Periódico de España.
“Our Economic and Trade Office in Algeria confirms this slight advances and a gradual restoration Trade relations”, states the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Trade and Commerce. “This is a specific measure affecting a very specific sector, which is one of the priorities of Algeria according to the needs of its population. “The Trade Office follows all these developments in detail and also follows up on the complaints and questions of all companies affected by this situation.”
The trade boycott decided by Algeria caused the collapse of Spanish exports. According to the records of the Spanish Minister of Commerce, between June 2022 and November 2023 (latest available data), Spain exported only 387 million euros, compared to over 2.7 billion euros in the previous eighteen months. diplomatic conflict Caused over 2.3 billion in damage In just a year and a half, the sales volume of Spanish companies to the Maghreb country has increased. A gap that emerged in a context where all Spanish exports had reached historic highs and become one of the engines of the revival of the national economy.
Just a first step
Algeria is starting to lift its trade blockade, but there are currently Spanish export sectors that have yet to benefit from any positive changes. paper products and its derivatives, for example, constituted the third largest item of Spanish exports to Algeria in 2020, with a total of 128 million euros and 6.7% of total exports.
Spain’s largest paper company, Saica, was selling 110 million euros worth of paper to Algeria, but with the outbreak of the crisis, it stopped exporting directly to the country. “I will cherish it the day we are allowed to send our products from here to Algeria, but at the moment I still cannot sell paper from Spain, I have to do it from other factories,” said Saica Group president Ramón Alejandro. When asked about the impact of Algeria’s decision to send a new ambassador in November. And today There is still no news about the blockade. as confirmed to this newspaper by the company this Thursday.
The Algerian blow was felt, as in Castellón, especially in the ports, where most of their connections were to the Maghreb country. Due to its proximity, it was a place with heavy goods traffic towards Algeria. They sent especially relevant products ceramicsuch as enamel or capital goods and machinery for their manufacture. But the blockade caused a situation 97% loss of sales: Goods shipments of 186.8 million Euros to Algeria in 2021 increased to 6.06 million Euros in 2023 (until November).
In general, the situation of the ceramics and tiles industry does not seem to be improving. Algeria on January 24 banned the import of finished ceramic and marble products. According to the news of El Periódico del Mediterráneo from the Ibérica Prensa Group, the Government of Abdelmaid Tebboune wants to strengthen the fledgling national production, a protectionist measure that applies to the whole world but has a special impact in Spain. The boycott was carried out in the same way that Algeria’s 2022 retaliation began: an order of the Algerian Association of Banks and Financial Institutions (ABEF) banning the residence of operations aimed at the import of ceramic and marble products. It’s already over.
Diplomatic thaw
Monday’s visit by Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares marks the end of the crisis The difficult phase of the bilateral crisis and strengthening diplomatic rapprochement. He was invited by his Algerian counterpart Ahmed Attaf, according to a press release from the ministry.
Following the election victory and the formation of Pedro Sánchez’s government, Algeria took the first step towards the normalization of diplomatic relations. He requested placet (diplomatic permission) from Spain to send a new ambassador, Abdelfetah Daghmoum, to Madrid. Spain has already given this. Thus, the new ambassador occupies the vacant place of Said Moussi, who was summoned to Algeria for consultations indefinitely; retired in every respect. Since then, the Algerian delegation in Spain has been headed by the chargé d’affaires.
Government of Abdelmadjid Tebboune He made no statement regarding his change of heart.. When he withdrew his ambassador and ordered the blockade in June 2022, he made it clear that this was retaliation for Pedro Sánchez’s support for Morocco in his plan to incorporate Western Sahara into the Kingdom “de jure” in exchange for granting autonomy. The disputed territory of Algeria supports and hosts the Polisario Front, Morocco’s rival and Rabat’s enemy.
Analysts consulted by this newspaper point to two possible reasons to explain this meltdown. The first of these is the fait accompli that Pedro Sánchez eventually has a four-year term in office and that a blockade that lasts too long will also damage the Algerian economy. Secondly, the socialist president’s attitude towards the conflict in Gaza, openly defending the lives of the people. Palestinian civilians in the face of Israeli bombardmentEven if it means starting a new diplomatic crisis with Israel. The Algerian government is one of the most pro-Palestinian governments. In fact, it is an active party to the case filed by hundreds of international lawyers with the International Criminal Court to investigate Israel’s alleged war crimes in Gaza; and in January, presented to the United Nations Security Council the International Court of Justice’s decision to prevent Israel from committing genocide in the Palestinian Strip.