IMPORTS OF GOODS AND SERVICES
The volume of imports to the Basque Country saw a notable increase between 2016 and 2023, in general maintaining an upward trend. In 2016, imports came to 40,262 million euros and in 2023 they reached 65,452 million euros, an increase of 62% over a seven-year period. As a consequence of the pandemic, imports in 2020 fell to 42,955 million euros; however, since 2021 they increased again, to a peak of 69,038 million euros in 2022. While this figure fell slightly in 2023, it is considerably higher than in the years before the pandemic.
As regards the source of imports, Spain was the Basque Country’s main supplier, accounting for 46.3% of the total in 2022 and 48.3% in 2023. Germany (8.5%), France (4.5%) and China (4.1%) are the next countries in importance. Other countries such as the United Stated (2.9%) and Italy (2.7%) also have a certain weight, though their percentages are considerably lower.
During the period from 2016 to 2023, the source of imports remained largely constant, though the percentages from certain countries varied slightly. Spain was always the most important every year, with a share of around 45-50%. The percentages from Germany and France remained more or less constant, while China’s increased slightly every year, from 3.2% to 4.1%, to stand almost level with France. The share from the United States also grew, mainly from 2021, to reach 3.3% in 2022. The share of imports from other countries (the Netherlands and Poland, for example) has also increased in recent years.