Yesterday, a component shortage disrupted both morning and afternoon shifts at System 2, the Vigo Stellantis plant that assembles pickup trucks. System 1, which handles the Peugeot 2008, did not operate on Sunday night either. Keeping up with the sequence of outages at the Balaídos facility has become a challenge for observers, yet the Galician auto sector continues to push export records. A balance sheet released by the regional Trade Ministry shows foreign automotive trade rising 33% from January through August compared with the same period last year, surpassing 5.5 billion euros. That milestone marks a historic share, accounting for nearly 30% of all Galicia-based companies’ overseas sales for the year so far.
As anticipated, the Perte program for Electric and Connected Vehicles (VEC) lays the groundwork for factory implementation. The industry demonstrates resilience with the rollout of the STLA Small platform, which underpins the group’s plan to assemble its new electric models and strengthen ties with the regional automotive ecosystem. In 2020 Galicia already proved its pulse could beat through difficult times, maintaining steady exports despite pandemic shocks and boosting overseas sales by a third. That year, the region stood out as a leading automobile exporter, second only to Catalonia, and it is poised to repeat a similar performance in 2023, remaining ahead of the Basque Country, the Valencian Community, Aragon, Madrid, Castilla y León, and Navarra in export value. Nationwide, automobile exports reached close to 40.1 billion euros in the first eight months, reflecting a robust 32% year‑over‑year rise.
Support for the sector helps cushion Galicia and the broader economy from global uncertainties and the uneven pace of activity across European markets. August trade figures show a slight decline in total exports, down 4.8% to 2.183 million units, yet the year-to-date total remains in positive territory, at about 19.5 billion euros, up roughly 1.6%. In textiles, a standout area for Galicia’s international footprint, non-knitted clothing shipments rose to 2.35 billion euros, while other clothing exports dipped by about 1.8%. Non-fishing products grew by 1.2% to roughly 1.238 billion euros, and canned foods climbed by just over 18% to around 703 million euros. Fuel exports contracted sharply, dropping 56% to 893 million as markets cooled during a pause in global energy volatility. Foundry products and aluminum fabrication posted meaningful declines of 22.7% and 28.7%, respectively, reflecting shifting demand patterns and the ongoing restructuring of traditional industrial sectors.