Spain's imports grew between January and August 2026 at twice the pace of exports, and the trade deficit increased 30.5% compared with the same period a year earlier, reaching 45.818 million euros. According to provisional data from DataComex, of the State Secretariat for Trade, compiled by EED Data, El Estrecho Digital's data platform, Spanish sales abroad totaled 264.182 million, up 3.2%. Purchases reached 310.000 million, an increase of 6.5%.
In absolute terms, imports increased by 18.974 million and exports by 8.261 million. The difference translates into 10.713 million more in deficit than in the first eight months of 2025, when the negative balance was 35.106 million, according to the monthly series compiled by EED Data. The coverage ratio, which measures what share of purchases is paid for by sales, falls to 85.2%, compared with 87.9% a year earlier. In other words, Spain sells 85 euros abroad for every 100 it buys from abroad, almost three euros less than a year ago.
The deterioration is concentrated in the last five months. At the end of March, the cumulative deficit was lower than a year earlier: 11.677 million, compared with 15.100 million in the first quarter of 2025. Between April and August, by contrast, the negative balance totaled 34.141 million, 14.135 million more than in the same months of the previous year.
August, the latest month available, saw higher growth rates in both flows. Spanish exports totaled 27.595 million, 13.3% more than in August 2025, while imports reached 35.408 million, up 16.7%. The monthly deficit was 7.813 million, compared with 5.983 million a year earlier, and coverage fell to 77.9%. The comparison starts from a low base, as August 2025 was the month with the lowest export value in the last 24 months of the series, at 24.351 million. The negative balance in August 2026 is the second largest in that period, exceeded only by May of this year, at 8.245 million.
Energy explains a significant portion of the figures, although not most of the deterioration. Chapter 27 of the tariff, which groups mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation, ranks first in imports, at 43.129 million, up 16.9%. It leaves a negative balance of 25.414 million, 55.5% of the total deficit. It also ranks third in exports, at 17.714 million after growing 29.3%. Those additional 4.017 million account for almost half (48.6%) of the increase in Spanish sales abroad during the period. Without Chapter 27, exports would have grown 1.8%.
However, the worsening balance is mainly due to the rest of trade. The energy deficit increased by 2.211 million compared with January–August 2025. By contrast, the balance excluding Chapter 27 went from a negative balance of 11.902 million to one of 20.404 million, an increase of 8.502 million. Excluding energy, imports grow 5% and exports 1.8%, while coverage stands at 92.4%.
The chapter for motor vehicles, tractors and other land vehicles, which ranks first in exports, accounts for much of this change. Sales totaled 35.459 million, up 0.8%, but purchases grew 14.1%, reaching 35.286 million. The chapter's surplus, which was 4.238 million in the first eight months of 2025, has fallen to 173 million. This decline of 4.065 million is equivalent to 37.9% of the increase in Spain's trade deficit during the period.
In the following industrial chapters, purchases also grow more than sales. Exports of machinery and mechanical appliances total 19.126 million, up 4.7%, against imports of 29.927 million, up 7%. In electrical machinery and equipment, sales reach 15.018 million (+7%) and purchases 28.419 million (+10.7%). Pharmaceutical products show the opposite trend. Both exports, down 11% to 12.342 million, and imports, down 13% to 15.264 million, fall, and the negative balance shrinks from 3.669 to 2.922 million. Among agri-food chapters, fruit totals 8.701 million (+2.7%), vegetables 6.728 million (+6.5%) and meat 6.163 million, down 13.1%.
By country, China is Spain's leading supplier, at 35.879 million, up 11.1% and accounting for 11.6% of all imports. Spanish exports to China, by contrast, remain virtually stable at 5.383 million (+0.7%), or 2% of the total. The bilateral balance is negative by 30.496 million, with coverage at 15%, a figure equivalent to two-thirds of Spain's trade deficit. Germany, at 33.687 million (+2.5%), and France, at 26.222 million (+7%), follow as suppliers. Purchases from the United Kingdom rise 14.9% to 8.365 million, while those from the United States remain stable at 20.753 million.
France is the leading destination for Spanish sales, at 38.014 million, 14.4% of the total and up 3.6%. Germany follows at 27.115 million (+4.7%), Portugal at 24.161 million (+9.8%), and Italy at 22.750 million (+10.7%). Outside the European Union, the United Kingdom buys 17.629 million from Spain (+2.8%), the United States 11.944 million (+6%) and Morocco, the eighth-largest destination, 8.343 million (+2.9%). Exports to the Netherlands fall 14.3% to 8.739 million, and to Belgium 10% to 7.709 million.
By province, Barcelona totals 52.580 million in sales abroad (+2%) and Madrid 35.717 million (+0.6%). Valencia reaches 14.745 million, up 7.4%, and Bizkaia records the largest increase among the top ten, up 15% to 8.093 million. Pontevedra, fourth with 9.841 million, declines 4.4%. Andalusia, with 28.617 million, increases its exports by 5.8% and accounts for 10.8% of the national total.
Over the last twelve months, from September 2025 to August 2026, Spanish exports totaled 395.353 million (+2.6%) and imports 463.120 million (+6%). The deficit accumulated over that period, 67.767 million, exceeds that for all of 2025, which was 57.055 million. The August figures extend the trend already evident in the cumulative total through July. The figures are provisional until finalized by Customs. DataComex publishes monthly data with a lag of about two months, so the September cumulative total is expected to be released in November. The complete series by products and countries can be consulted in the Foreign Trade section of EED Data.
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