Record-breaking exports for Malaga: these are the best-performing products from the province

Malaga province exported goods worth just over 1.68 billion euros in the first half of 2025, a figure 2.3% higher than the volume of foreign sales recorded in the same period of the previous year. According to the Spanish government's monthly foreign trade report published on Monday by the ministry of economy, trade and enterprise, this is the highest export figure for a first half-year in Malaga province. This has been possible thanks to the contribution of the primary sector and the agri-food industry, especially olive oil, which, despite a price drop, has been able to increase its foreign sales volume, as well as capital goods, which continue to gain a share of the province's foreign sales.

While this is happening in Malaga, in Andalucía as a whole, the volume of exports recorded in the first half of this year, over 21.34 billion euros, is identical to that of the first half of 2024. However, as a singular fact highlighted by the regional ministry for the economy, the region of Andalucía has a positive trade balance, that is, it exports more than it imports. To be precise, between January and June, its foreign trade balance accumulated a surplus of just over 1.19 billion euros. This compares with the deficits of the other two regions in Spain's top three exporting regions, Catalonia and Madrid, which accumulated a deficit to June of 7.06 and 26.01 billion euros respectively, with exports of more than 51.1 billion euros for Catalonia and over 26.57 billion euros for Madrid.

Along with Malaga, other Andalusian provinces that also set records for foreign sales in the first half of 2025 are Almeria, Cordoba and Granada. However, Cadiz led the growth in exports, with a 15.2% increase to over 4.35 billion euros. Seville is the regional leader in foreign sales, with almost 4.43 billion euros, despite having fallen by 16.2% compared to the same period last year.

For Spain as a whole, foreign sales in the first half of the year exceeded 197.15 billion euros, a year-on-year increase of 1%. This is accompanied by a trade deficit of more than 25 billion euros.

As far as the main products traded by Andalucía are concerned, vegetables lead the way, with their best-ever exports since records began at 2.65 billion euros, representing a growth of 9.8% and accounting for 12.5% of total exports. Fruits grew by 13.7% to 2.4 billion euros, representing 11.2% of total Andalusian sales to other countries. Olive oil ranked third and, although sales value fell by 19.1% compared to the same time last year, dropping to 1.97 billion euros (9.3% of Andalusia's total exports) due to the fall in prices, sales volume grew by 41% to 445,000 tonnes.

Regarding industry, copper and copper products stand out in Andalucía, with 1.12 billion euros in overseas sales (5.3% of the total, after a 17.9% year-on-year increase).

Meanwhile, what is happening in Malaga? The largest export sector is food, beverages and tobacco, with 843.7 million euros between January and June, a drop of 6.7% year-on-year. Despite this fall, it still represents half of all foreign sales so far this year.

The second largest export sector in the province is capital goods, with 228.5 million euros, an increase of 14.6% year-on-year. It accounts for 13.5% of the province's total sales to other countries in this first half-year.

These figures only partially reflect the impact of recent US tariffs: the 10% tariff rate began to be applied in early April. However, it was not until the end of July that negotiations with the Trump administration culminated in Brussels accepting a 15% tariff on all products. For Andalucía, the leading export destination market so far this year is Germany, with 2.51 billion euros (11.8% of the total), followed by France (1.947 billion euros, representing 9.1%). The United States is the fifth largest international customer for Andalusian goods and the largest non-European market, with 1.32 billion euros (6.2% of the total).

For Malaga, exports to the United States account for approximately 10% of total foreign sales. The impact of tariffs on the volume of international trade remains unknown, although Malaga's confederation of business owners (CEM), assuming sales to the United States of 300 million euros this year, estimated the cost of the tariffs would amount to 45 million euros, a figure that would be felt especially in the olive oil sector.

It is also unknown whether Malaga will achieve another foreign sales record this year, after four in a row: in the year of the pandemic it exported goods worth 2.26 billion euros, while in 2024 it reached just over 3.27 billion.