Two years after a diplomatic crisis between Algeria and Spain linked to the question of Western Sahara, a delegation from the port of Castellón went to Algeria to try to revive trade. This mission, organized by the Castellón Port Authority, ended on December 18. This is the first initiative of this type since the lifting last November of the trade blockade imposed by Algeria since June 2022, reports the Spanish press.
Before the blockade, Algeria was a key partner for the port of Castellón, particularly for exports of ceramic products. In 2022, these exports represented more than 300 million euros. In 2018, the port recorded an annual volume of one million tonnes of goods traded with Algeria, mainly enamels and ceramic-related equipment.
It should be remembered that in January 2024, the Algerian government decided to ban the import of finished ceramic and marble products. This decision was taken with the aim of developing its national production, in order to reduce the country's import bill.
With the resumption of commercial relations, Spanish operators hope to reconnect with pre-crisis dynamics. The president of the Port Authority, Rubén Ibáñez, emphasizes that “the objective is to reestablish” relations with Algerian companies and to identify new opportunities. According to him, who Algeria “represented one of the most important markets for the port of Castellón”.
Ibáñez also explains that “the main objective is to serve as a bridge between the representatives of the port community who accompany us and the main players in the Algerian commercial fabric with interests in our hinterland after more than two years of blockade”.
The Spanish delegation met economic and institutional representatives in Algeria, as well as local businesses. These exchanges aim to convince Algerian partners to resume their orders with Spanish shipping companies.
Fernando Fabra, president of the Esmaltes company, expressed optimism about obtaining import authorizations for Spanish products. For its part, the Spanish embassy in Algeria played a key role in organizing the discussions, by facilitating cooperation between economic actors from the two countries.
Besides ceramics, agriculture was also a central subject of this mission. The growing needs for modernization of the Algerian agricultural sector offer opportunities for Castellón companies specializing in agricultural technologies and innovative materials.
Rubén Ibáñez highlights the strengths of the port of Castellón, in particular its capacity to manage different types of goods and its strategic positioning in the Mediterranean. Those involved in the port of Castellón believe that the year 2025 will be crucial for sustainably relaunching trade. Shipping companies plan to assess the market and plan new connections to Algerian ports.
In 2019, Spain exported goods to Algeria worth 3 billion euros. This figure decreased in 2021 to €1.88 billion due to Covid-19 restrictions. The decline linked to the political crisis began in the summer of 2022 after Algeria suspended the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Good Neighborhood which had linked it to Spain since 2002, followed immediately by the freezing of trade. , with the exception of hydrocarbons.
During the year 2022, Spanish exports to Algeria amounted to 1.02 billion euros, or 45.9% less than in 2021. And in 2023, they fell sharply to 331, 8 million, a drop of 67.5% compared to the previous year, according to figures from the Spanish Ministry of Commerce reported by the Spanish press. The beginnings of the end of the crisis began to appear in November 2023 with Algiers' decision to appoint a new ambassador to Madrid after a year and a half of the post being vacant.
The first lifting of restrictions took place two months later, in January 2024, and initially concerned imports of chicken and meat from Spain. Since then, the recovery has been gradual. In May, there was already a partial restart of Spanish exports to Algeria, according to the Spanish Ministry of Commerce.
Figures show that trade between the two countries really restarted at the start of 2024. During the first two months of this year, Spanish exports to Algeria reached 163 million euros, including 133 million in goods of equipment. This represents a clear increase compared to the meager 17 million euros in January and February 2023. However, trade remains well below pre-crisis levels. In January and February 2022, Spain exported 334 million euros to Algeria.
Throughout 2024, the recovery in trade was not uniform, but it gradually affected certain products, such as goods transport vehicles, components for the automotive sector and beef. Subsequently, the recovery extended to clothing and cosmetic products.
According to the Spanish Ministry of Commerce, exports of transport equipment have already reached 126 million euros this year, compared to zero in 2023 and 4 million in 2022. Exports from the automotive sector have even surpassed pre-retirement levels. crisis, with 11 million euros in 2024, against 2 million in 2023 and 5 million in 2022.
