Spain, February 20, 2013 - The increased competitiveness of Spanish exports, thanks mainly to the decline in unit labor costs, the increase in businesses that export (130,247, 12% more than in 2011) and the orientation towards new markets, have led to the results Spanish trade balance are favorable in 2012.

In particular, exports of goods reached a total of 222,643.9 million-a 3.8% increase on 2011 - and recorded the fastest rate of the time series starting in 1971. Through redirecting sales to new markets is being achieved to reduce the vulnerability of Spanish exports , offsetting weak demand in the European Union. Thus, sales have grown to Oceania (37%), Africa (30.6%), American (28.4%) and Asia (11.9%)

The main export sectors are capital goods, food, chemicals, automobiles and semi-manufactures. In capital goods, include increases in recent months in foreign sales of rail transport equipment (+21.1%), motors (+12.8%) and industry-specific machinery (+13%). In food exports have grown beverages (+16.8%) and meat (+13.8%), also highlighting the progress of organic chemicals (+35.8%) and fertilizers (+20%)

Caen imports:

Meanwhile, imports fell by 2.85% in 2012 , to 253,401.2 billion, with declines in general less purchases of energy products because of the high dependence on foreign energy.

Overall, the significant reduction of the trade deficit by 33.6% annually through the 30,757.4 million euros , is the main cause of the correction of the external imbalance, which is allowing to run surpluses in current account since July 2012, according to latest figures from the Bank of Spain.

The coverage rate , the percentage of imports that we can pay our exports, reached maximum 87.86% , a figure not seen since records there.

By region, despite the economic slowdown in the EU, the trade surplus has continued to grow in this region in the year 2012 to reach a total of 12.571 million euros, more than tripling the 2011 (4059900000 in euros). With the euro zone trade surplus totaled 7,723.2 million euros, compared with a balance of 1660.2 million last year.

One very significant gains in our competitiveness is that in 2012 has been reduced by 57.2% the deficit with the most competitive economy in the EU, Germany, while we have kept growing favorable balances with France (EUR 9.471 million ), with the UK (3,828 million euros), Portugal (6,560 million euros), Italy (914 million euros) or Austria (238 million euros).