Export data for March were eagerly awaited to determine whether the war in Ukraine would alter foreign trade patterns. The results were clear enough: the downturn in sales has become visible. In the province of Alicante, the monthly growth slipped to 4.3%, with a total of 612 million euros. This pace follows stronger gains earlier in the year, where growth exceeded 20% in prior months. The conflict’s disruption, combined with rising prices, has hit the metal sector and certain agri-food products hard. Yet the first quarter still shows a 15.8% rise in exports, a figure that, while modest, could have been stronger if March had not undercut recent momentum.
The rebound in demand that followed the worst phase of the epidemic helped Alicante end the previous year on a high note, recording foreign sales of 6.216 billion euros—an expansion of 16% over the year when the virus first arrived. Still, early 2022 brought a shift. Inflation and higher energy costs cooled the start of the year, but February picked up with growth nearing 24%. The ongoing effects of the war remained uncertain, and March data began to reveal the impact more clearly.
According to the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, exports for March reached 612.8 million euros, signaling a relatively weak uptick by recent standards. Metals and agri-food products were the sectors most affected, with some lines experiencing declines. Electrical equipment and materials exports totaled 11.7 million euros, down from 20.7 million in March the previous year. Vehicles, automobiles and tractors stood at 11.7 million euros, compared with 21.5 million a year earlier. Machines also felt the war’s pressure, exporting 14.9 million versus 15.9 million in the prior year. Aluminum and its producers performed best within the machinery segment, reaching 36 million euros, almost 10 million more than last year.
The province closed the year with the most exports in its history with 6,216 million euros.
Luis Rodríguez, president of the Alicante State Federation of Metal Entrepreneurs, notes that the sales slowdown is evident and attributes it to the war’s heavy uncertainty, which compounds higher energy costs and pricier inputs. In Rodríguez’s view, the outlook is highly complex, with normalization unlikely before the final quarter of the year.
In the agrifood sector, fruits and nuts registered a notable decline. March figures show 45.5 million euros in exports, a drop from 50.1 million in 2021. Canned vegetables and fruits also fell to 18.7 million euros from 22.4 million in the same month of the previous year. Legumes and vegetables are recovering from steep declines, with exports totaling 58 million euros versus 52.4 million last year.
Both La Unió and Asaja emphasize that the war has conditioned exports. José Vicente Andreu, head of the latter group in Alicante, notes that sales to eastern markets, historically large consumers of province-grown fruit, have weakened, a trend reflected in official statistics. There was also a slight dip in the toy sector, which sold 11.1 million units in March, down from 12 million in 2021. Shoes continued their gradual recovery, while plastics rose to 136.7 million euros from 122.4 million the previous year and plastics components held at 36.9 million, roughly flat against last year.
Looking at the quarterly comparison, exports from Alicante rose by 15.8% versus 2021, totaling 1,699 million euros for the period.
Notes: This analysis reflects official data from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism and commentary from regional industry associations. It highlights how geopolitical events can quickly ripple through regional economies, shaping export patterns, price levels, and competitiveness across sectors. Attribution: Ministry data and regional federation statements.