Madrid, Spain, April 18, 2013 - The country’s Secretary of State for Trade, Jaime García-Legaz, describes foreign trade as the “engine for growth” of the Spanish economy.

“Exports are the engine for economic growth and Spain heads the European Union export league table for 2013”, García-Legaz announced during the Cinco Días Forum, also adding that the government is putting in place a “shock plan” to help resolve the problems affecting small businesses. He said that “recovering competitiveness, increasing the number of companies exporting and strategically shifting exports to more dynamic markets” are the key features of this successful period in foreign trade.

García-Legaz also stressed that Spain will meet the growth forecasts predicted by European organisations. “Seeing a 4.6% growth in sales would be a good result for any business. I am confident that our exports will grow, and this will be a positive factor in Spain’s economic growth in 2013”, he said, pointing out that exports already account for 33% of the country’s GDP, “the highest figure in history”. In fact, he said, “Spain is the only country not to have seen a decline in its export share on the world market, and this is a factor in the strength of the foreign trade sector. An ever-growing number of companies are committed to branching out abroad. Last year, this number grew by 11%, with 3% of companies now exporting regularly”, he said.

García-Legaz reiterated that the “turbulence” affecting Europe will not harm the Spanish economy, which has a “strong ability to weather the storm”. “Having the most robust banks in Europe means we can withstand this turbulence comfortably”, he said.

García-Legaz highlighted the “opportunities” that the Spanish market will enjoy from the signing of new agreements with countries such as the United States, Canada and Japan. “The EU agreement with the United States will be historic if it comes to fruition, as it will provide anextraordinary opportunity for Spain. The full opening of the US market is something we cannot miss, because this is such an important market”, he said.

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