Alicante’s exports face sustained pressure as manufacturers across key sectors grapple with a challenging moment. The impact is evident in the shoe industry and in intermediate goods such as aluminum, along with consumer-oriented sectors like textiles and toys. November data confirm a continued slowdown in foreign sales from the province.
ICEX data show shipments from Alicante to international markets in the month reaching 585.7 million euros, marking a 7.3% decline versus the same period in 2022. This drop is slightly sharper than the national trend, which fell by 6.7% to 34.878 million euros, according to the same sources.
With these figures, the cumulative export value from January through November stands at 6,447 million euros, which is down 1.09%. The year began with modest momentum that carried into the first half, thanks to inertia from the previous year.
Shoes
The most troubling sector remains shoes due to its outsized role in Alicante’s economy and its direct influence on exports. The shoe industry accounts for roughly one fifth of the province’s foreign trade. November delivered another negative result, though not as severe as October’s drop of over 40%. Business leaders from the Vinalopó region reported 77.6 million euros in sales, about 23% below November 2022 levels.
The year to date shows 1,113 million euros in exports, down 9.1%. In practical terms, the industry has lost 113 million euros in foreign markets so far this year.
Marian Cano, president of the Valencian Shoe Entrepreneurs Association, recalls that employers had warned of the downturn. The first half of the year appeared positive, yet a reversal was anticipated as household purchasing power weakened. Shoes are vulnerable because they are not a basic necessity like food. Looking ahead to 2024, forecasts point to a continuing slowdown in consumption. Global tensions such as the Gaza conflict and the Red Sea disruption add to the challenge by pushing up shipping costs and causing delays in orders.
Shoes push exports abroad even as overall trade declines
The contraction in footwear reverberates through other family-budget linked sectors. Textiles and toys experienced a 24% drop in November, with 11.8 million units exported and total year-to-date sales reaching 125 million units, down 15.1% year over year.
Like other sectors, marble shipments also weakened in November. Raw stone exports fell 21% to 3.5 million, while processed products declined 1.8% to 8.8 million units.
Aluminum registered one of the steeper declines, down 24% from November of the previous year at 22.9 million, driven by weaker orders and lower material prices.
Agriculture
The agricultural landscape shows two opposite trends. On one side, vegetable sales rose by 10.2% compared to roughly the same month in 2022, with total value around 53.5 million. José Vicente Andreu, president of Alicante exporters, notes that many of these shipments originate from producers outside the province, suggesting some exports reflect geographic sourcing rather than regional production. He adds that the winter vegetable season in Alicante has not yet begun.
Fruit shipments fell by 9.7% as almond production declined to 66.7 million due to lower demand from almond markets and a weaker Clementine harvest.
On the positive side, machinery exports rose by 15.5% and furniture exports gained 10.2%, though these gains are not enough to offset the weaker months earlier in the year, leaving the annual figure in negative territory.