The Terrassa Chamber of Commerce will hold its tenth International Conference on Thursday in the Grifols auditorium, in Sant Cugat del Vallès. The event comes at a time when companies find clients abroad more easily, but struggle more to close and consolidate operations.
The foreign market is more accessible, but consolidating sales remains the difficult part
Daniel González, head of International Trade Services for the entity, summarizes the moment with a very precise phrase.
"Today it is easier to find international clients, the difficult thing is to consolidate operations" - Daniel González, head of International Trade Services at the Terrassa Chamber of Commerce
The prospecting of new markets is now done above all through digital platforms, a change that accelerated after the pandemic. That channel has broadened access to potential buyers, but it has not eliminated the fragility of many operations nor the need for commercial follow-up.
In parallel, companies work with a more unstable external map. Daniel González links that brake to the uncertainty generated by Trump's first term, the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and Trump's second term.
Investments and international projects are being rethought or halted due to this scenario, while companies try to choose destinations with fewer surprises. Market diversification thus appears as a practical response to an environment in which tariffs complicate even sales to the United States in some sectors.
The exporting company went from reacting to going abroad out of necessity
The profile of the exporting company has also changed in recent decades. It has gone from being reactive to proactive, driven by the 2008 crisis and the need to seek activity abroad.
First he did it within the European Union and then he expanded the strategy to other countries.
That leap coincides with the forty years since Spain's entry into the European Economic Community, a process that transformed the Spanish market from peripheral and protectionist to integrated. For companies, that meant modernizing and competing in a much more open framework.
González comes to suggest that, without adhesion to the European Union, Spain would resemble Argentina due to the combination of inflation, unsustainable public debt, and a devalued currency.
Europe, however, has not resolved all the problems generated by its own political decisions. Bureaucracy and hyperregulation continue to weigh on companies, although remaining within the European Union is considered preferable in a scenario dominated by economic blocs.
The European Commission prioritizes competitiveness, but has not deployed effective policies on energy dependence, technology, batteries, and electric cars. Meanwhile, external competitors assume lower regulatory costs and operate with advantages that Catalan companies perceive in their daily activity.
The chemical, pharmaceutical, and steel industries fare better in the demarcation
Regulatory uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, logistical difficulties, and the breakdown of supply chains now concentrate the main business concerns.
That deterioration has brought back non-payments and collection problems, two factors that force a more detailed review of each operation. Daniel González asks to analyze the risks of the entire supply chain to shield the company, because the lack of raw materials can stop production and drag down customers.
Among the sectors with the most capacity to grow internationally in the demarcation are chemistry, pharmaceuticals, technology companies, and steel.
There are also historical European suppliers who are seeking collaborations in Catalonia due to production problems in their home countries, especially due to the increase in energy costs. This demand adds opportunities, but does not eliminate the pressure suffered by companies that depend on stable supplies and contracts.
The Terrassa Chamber of Commerce will celebrate on Thursday its tenth International Conference in Sant Cugat del Vallès.
The Grifols auditorium will host the event, which arrives with an eye on how to sell abroad without losing operations along the way.