At a recent working meeting, Salvador Navarro, president of the Valencian Community Business Confederation (CEV) and vice-president of the CEOE, discussed trade dynamics with the deputy director general of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Trade. The discussion highlighted rising concerns among Valencian businessmen about a trade blockade affecting Algeria. The situation has already resulted in significant losses for Alicante’s companies, with some estimates placing the impact at around 50 million in recent months alone.
In practice, the effects are visible despite Algeria lifting the suspension of automatic payments, as reported by the Banks and Financial Institutions Association. The broader consequence is a near standstill in trade relations, with numerous contracts and flows stalling as uncertainties persist across the value chain.
As Navarro explained, the entire industrial sector in the region—ranging from frits and glazes, ceramics, and chemicals to plastics, textiles, footwear, food, and marble—faces reduced export and import activity. Businesses are experiencing a direct blockage of payments, certificates of origin are being discarded, and ports and customs are not applying a consistent or transparent approach. This creates a troubling climate for operators who rely on predictable trade routes and reliable documentation to keep production lines moving.
There is concern that the current trajectory is not producing the desired results. Market share is being ceded to other European exporters, and there is anxiety about potential shortages of certain inputs for Valencian companies that operate in Algeria for processing, finishing, and subsequent local sale or for export to third countries. Consequently, the CEV, in coordination with the CEOE, has brought this issue to multiple community institutions in search of a clear understanding of how EU strategies address a member state’s trade barriers and how the bloc can respond swiftly to protect regional interests.
The deputy director general demonstrated a commitment to the EU’s framework and to respecting the Association Agreement between the European Union and Algeria. The dialogue focused on finding practical solutions to ease tensions and reestablish normal trade flows that support both regions’ productive sectors.
Navarro also extended an invitation for the deputy general manager to visit the Valencia Community. A firsthand look at the regional economic potential would help illustrate the products and services that Valencian firms offer on international markets, as well as the ongoing efforts in Brussels related to this issue. The invitation underscored the importance of close, on-the-ground collaboration to translate Brussels policy discussions into tangible regional outcomes.
The meeting included the presence of socialist MEP Inmaculada Rodríguez Piñero in the European Parliament and was part of a broader series of discussions the CEV president plans to hold with European institutions today and tomorrow. Alongside the general commerce dialogue, the day’s schedule also encompassed conversations with Leticia Casañ, coordinator of the Valencia Community Foundation Brussels European Regional Office, and Isabel Yglesias, the CEOE’s delegate in Brussels. These engagements aim to align regional and national interests with European trade policy and to explore concrete avenues for support and guidance.
The conflict with Algeria left 135 million in question for Alicante exports
In the days ahead, further meetings are on the docket. The program includes talks with Ramón Arjona, Chief Economist for Strategy and Economic Analysis at the European Commission’s Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs department, and with Beatriz Yordi, who oversees carbon markets and related mobility issues within the Climate Action directorate. These discussions are intended to illuminate the broader economic implications and to map out policy options that could stabilize trade and support regional exporters facing Algeria-related disruptions.