{"id":36224,"date":"2025-05-26T12:38:39","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T10:38:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mindtechvigo.com\/the-metal-sector-facing-the-challenge-of-internationalisation-the-iberian-hub-as-a-strategic-hub\/"},"modified":"2025-05-26T13:07:43","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T11:07:43","slug":"the-metal-sector-facing-the-challenge-of-internationalisation-the-iberian-hub-as-a-strategic-hub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mindtechvigo.com\/en\/the-metal-sector-facing-the-challenge-of-internationalisation-the-iberian-hub-as-a-strategic-hub\/","title":{"rendered":"The metal sector facing the challenge of internationalisation: the Iberian Hub as a strategic hub"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The metal sector and its associated technologies are at a turning point. While European industry accelerates the green and digital transition, companies in the Iberian hub are stepping up their expansion abroad to diversify markets and gain muscle. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This article reviews the keys to this internationalisation, the most dynamic destinations and the levers that explain why Galicia and the rest of the Peninsula have become a privileged gateway to Europe from third countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A European market in profound transformation<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The European Union remains the major trading umbrella for the metal sector. In 2023, non-EU exports of <strong>machinery and transport equipment<\/strong> exceeded <strong>\u20ac1 trillion<\/strong>, 40 % of all EU foreign sales, reflecting the strength of the metal sector value chain.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the same time, Brussels has included steel and metals as strategic industries in its new <strong>Steel &amp; Metals Action Plan<\/strong>, recalling that they generate <strong>\u20ac191 billion in turnover and 300,000 direct <\/strong>jobs in the EU. This EU boost comes in a context of competitive pressure: energy costs, the need for decarbonisation and trade tensions (USA, China and Russia) make it necessary to seek new alliances. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Iberian Pole: industrial muscle and export vocation<\/h2>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Spain: traction from Galicia<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spain had <strong>812,957 jobs<\/strong> in the metal sector in 2024 (+2.3 % year-on-year). Galicia provides <strong>60,231 workers<\/strong> and represents <strong>19% of the Galician GDP,<\/strong> with <strong>3,478 companies<\/strong> concentrated mainly in A Coru\u00f1a and Pontevedra. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The foreign balance supports this international projection: Galician exports from the sector amounted to <strong>12,371 M \u20ac<\/strong> in 2024 (+4.9%), with <strong>France,<\/strong> <strong>Turkey <\/strong>and the <strong>United Kingdom<\/strong> being the main destinations, and with the automotive sector as the driving force (71% of the total).<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Portugal: historical records and sustained growth<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Portugal&#8217;s neighbour is also stepping on the gas. According to AIMMAP, foreign sales of <strong>Metal Portugal<\/strong> reached almost <strong>24,000 M \u20ac in 2023<\/strong>, a new record high and 4.9% more than the previous year. Seventy-six percent of these shipments are to EU partners, but diversification towards North America and Africa is becoming increasingly important, making the Vigo-Oporto axis a major export corridor.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Target markets: beyond the EU<\/h2>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Turkey, a preferred partner and Eurasian platform<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Turkey has emerged as the <strong>second destination<\/strong> for Galician metal exports (\u20ac1,256m in 2024) and the <strong>main European recipient<\/strong> of iron and steel, with purchases from the EU valued at <strong>\u20ac6,200m<\/strong>. Conversely, total EU-Turkey bilateral trade reached <strong>\u20ac210.7 billion<\/strong> in 2024, with a year-on-year growth of 2.6% in EU imports and 0.8% in exports. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Turkish customs offers tariff advantages thanks to the customs union and, for Iberian companies, it acts as a gateway to the Middle East and Central Asia.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The United States and Latin America: opportunities despite uncertainty<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new steel and aluminium tariffs announced by the US in March 2025 add volatility, but also incentivise the search for high-quality, low-emission suppliers. The Iberian industry, with green certifications and capacity for short series, can gain share in these value-added niches. It remains to be seen how the escalating tariffs initiated by the Trump administration, which has announced tariffs of up to 50% on European products, will be resolved, which would have a major impact on the continent&#8217;s value chain.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Competitiveness factors of the Iberian Pole<\/h2>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Multi-sectoral specialisation<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Automotive, naval, marine energy, renewable energies and aerospace industries coexist in a hub that shares technology, talent and logistics.<\/strong> This diversity means that the peaks of demand in some industries compensate for the economic downturn in others, bringing stability to the external balance. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Atlantic logistics infrastructure<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Ports such as Vigo, Leix\u00f5es or Sines offer ro-ro<\/strong> and container routes to both sides of the Atlantic in less than ten days, reinforcing competitiveness against competitors in northern and central Europe.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Local value chain<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Historically in the Galician shipbuilding industry, but also palpable in others such as the automotive industry, the value of having first-rate local suppliers makes this region attractive to manufacturers, as it allows them to reduce costs and boost innovation and competitiveness.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Talent and green transition<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Industry is investing in automation, robotic welding, 3D printing and dual training, but demands more qualified profiles. Attracting and retraining talent is emerging as a priority shared by companies and administrations. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Short and medium-term challenges<\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Energy costs and decarbonisation: <\/strong>electrification of furnaces and the use of green hydrogen will mark the next decade.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Geopolitical volatility: <\/strong>sanctions, wars and tariffs require contingency planning and diversified supply chains.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>European regulations<\/strong> (CBAM, eco-design standard, sustainable taxonomy) that force investment in traceability and circularity, but which will also create barriers to entry for competitors with larger carbon footprints.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The European metal sector is going through a cycle of reinvention and, in this context, the Iberian hub has established itself as an <strong>industrial and logistics hub<\/strong> between the mature markets of the EU and the surrounding emerging economies. Taking advantage of this window of opportunity means strengthening cross-border cooperation, consolidating the commitment to clean technology and continuing to open doors in third countries that demand quality, flexibility and proximity.  <strong>Mindtech 2025 will undoubtedly be the perfect showcase to continue promoting this global strategy from Vigo to the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A European market in profound transformation The European Union remains the major trading umbrella for the metal sector. In 2023, non-EU exports of machinery and transport equipment exceeded \u20ac1 trillion, 40 % of all EU foreign sales, reflecting the strength of the metal sector value chain. At the same time, Brussels has included steel and &#8230; <a title=\"The metal sector facing the challenge of internationalisation: the Iberian Hub as a strategic hub\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/mindtechvigo.com\/en\/the-metal-sector-facing-the-challenge-of-internationalisation-the-iberian-hub-as-a-strategic-hub\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about The metal sector facing the challenge of internationalisation: the Iberian Hub as a strategic hub\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":36220,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36224","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mindtech"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindtechvigo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36224","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindtechvigo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindtechvigo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindtechvigo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindtechvigo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36224"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mindtechvigo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36224\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36225,"href":"https:\/\/mindtechvigo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36224\/revisions\/36225"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindtechvigo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindtechvigo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindtechvigo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindtechvigo.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}