In Catalonia, exports from the Girona area have increased by 87% over the last 10 years and exceeded 8.1 billion euros in 2023, the highest figure ever. The figures were announced by the Executive Secretary for Business and Competitiveness of the Government of Catalonia, Albert Castellanos i Maduell, at an event attended by around a hundred members of the business community.

Castellanos maintained that Girona has "a diverse economic fabric, with regions that have an industrial importance greater than the average for Catalonia, with many assets in sectors such as food, capital goods and chemicals." The secretary emphasised "the very strong performance of the foreign sector in the Girona area – a region that has seen an 87% increase in exports in the last decade".

Castellanos also highlighted the fact that "the number of companies that export on a regular basis in Girona has also increased, which is one of the most obvious pieces of evidence showing the competitiveness of the products and services of the region's business fabric". He announced that there are now almost 1,300 companies in Girona regularly exporting, 20% more than 10 years ago.

By country, Girona's main trading partners are France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, China, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The leading sectors are foreign sales of food and beverages, machinery and equipment, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

Support for business growth

This year, the Government will allocate almost 100 million euros in grants for the growth of Catalan companies, 4.5% more than last year. Castellanos pointed out that 2024 "will be a difficult year, with global disruptions and a macroeconomic situation that may impact the competitiveness of Catalan companies", and that in this context, "we want to be useful for the business ecosystem" and "support it throughout the process of transformation towards a sustainable, digital, innovative and technologically disruptive business model".