ASIME has just published the Annual Report on the Metallurgy Sector, which shows and compares data from the same period in 2020 to draw conclusions and learn about the current state of the industry at both regional and national level.

The first data indicate that the sector experienced a 5% growth in turnover, with a figure of almost 13 million euros.

Employment

The data collected in the report states that:

• Spain: In 2021, employment increased by 0.75% compared to 2020.
• At the regional level, in Galicia, in 2021 employment suffered a decrease of 0.5% (compared to 2020), resulting in a total of 290 jobs.

In Galicia, the greatest metal activity is concentrated in A Coruña and Pontevedra, accounting for 41.42% of industrial employment in this Community.

Foreign trade

Cataluña led the ranking in exports and Madrid in imports, while Galicia climbed one place in exports, occupying 4th place and 5th place in imports in the metal sector.

Exports

• The metal sector will account for 41.8% of total Galician exports in 2021.
• 66.8% of these exports correspond to the manufacture of motor vehicles and 5.2% to the naval sector, which is growing notably.
• Pontevedra is the Galician province where 77% of the sector’s exports were concentrated, with a value of 8,123 million euros.

Imports

• 44.8% of total Galician imports in 2021 correspond to the metal sector.
• 61.9% of these imports correspond to the manufacture of motor vehicles.
• Pontevedra is the Galician province where 81.3% of the sector’s imports were concentrated, to the value of 7,340 million euros.

Naval, maritime and marine energies 

The metal sector reached a total of 8,037 jobs, a slight decrease of 1% compared to 2020.

In terms of turnover, 801 million euros were invoiced, which is 3% more than the previous year. Likewise, the Galician shipyards have experienced a 133% growth in new contracts and a 33% increase in order book.

Shipbuilding exports in Galicia increased by 66.8%, reaching 553 million in 2021. In Spain there was also an increase in exports, in this case of 76.5%, with 1,245 million.

Metal constructions and structures

Metal constructions and structures recorded a 0.5% increase in employment and a 5% increase in turnover.

Challenges

Against this background, Enrique Mallón, Secretary General of Asime, highlighted some key points:

“This is a critical moment, probably one of the most difficult times in recent decades in the management of a company. The sector has already been suffering historic increases in the prices of raw materials and supplies, which in cases such as aluminium have risen by 80%, while gas is 10 times more expensive than it was a year ago.  This dramatic situation is now compounded by the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the necessary economic sanctions imposed to punish this unjustified massacre of the Ukrainian people. If this inflationary context of supply crisis, coupled with political instability, is prolonged over time, the economic recovery risks being delayed once again”.

“It is time for all institutions, national and European, to take courageous decisions in terms of regulations, sanctions and energy taxation in order to tackle this crisis that we must all tackle together. We must rely on European funds and ensure that they reach SMEs so that industry can emerge stronger and get back on the path to growth as soon as possible”.

ASIME highlights the challenges posed by the mobility of the future, digitalisation and the energy transition.

“It is time for all institutions, national and European, to take courageous decisions in terms of regulations, sanctions and energy taxation in order to tackle this crisis that we must all tackle together. We must rely on European funds and ensure that they reach SMEs so that industry can emerge stronger and get back on the path to growth as soon as possible”.