Exports from Lleida companies fell by 13.7% in January compared to the same month of the previous year and stood at 187 million euros. The decline breaks the upward trend that had been maintained in that month uninterruptedly since 2023.
The start of 2026 thus leaves a change of sign in Lleida's foreign trade, after three consecutive years of increases in January. The data also arrives after a 2025 in which the exports of the demarcation already registered their first fall, with an annual decrease of 1.5%.
The food sector leads the decline
The main exporting sector in January was again the food sector, although with a notable decrease. It invoiced 101.6 million euros in foreign sales, 21.1% less. Capital goods also declined, the other large exporting block of the month, which reached 24.4 million euros, 9.4% less.
Within the agri-food sector, pork meat dropped by 31.8% and stood at 10.51 million euros. This decrease occurs in the context of the African swine fever crisis. Meat exports as a whole totaled 17.9 million, 27.95% less, while beef exports stood at 2.25 million after falling by 45.5%.
Live animals also strongly retreated, mainly cattle, which fell to 400,000 euros, 88% less, and forages, which stood at 1.77 million, with a 67.5% drop. Fruit, another of the usual products from outside Lleida, fell by 14.68% and closed the month at 8.46 million.
Olive oil loses weight at the start of the year
The olive oil registered a new correction. Foreign sales stood at 23 million euros, 26% less. In the set of oils and fats, the figure was 29.75 million, with a decline of 24.22%.
In the case of extra virgin olive oil, exports reached 15.61 million euros, 26.61% less. The decrease in this group of products had a significant weight in the overall result for the month.
Some sectors dodge the fall
Not all chapters closed January in negative. Exports of juices and preserves grew by 18.86% and reached 15.21 million euros. Those of machinery and mechanical appliances also advanced, rising by 31% to 11.75 million.
External sales of motor vehicles and tractors increased by 16.93% and reached 10.49 million euros. The most striking performance was that of gypsum, with an increase of 1,050% and a turnover close to 5.5 million.
In contrast, iron and steel foundry manufactures decreased by 54.75% and stood at 5.27 million euros.
France remains at the forefront among destinations
France remained as the main destination for Lleida's exports, with 48.21 million euros, despite registering a fall of 8.77%. After the French market were Portugal, Italy, Germany, Andorra, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Sales to the United States reached 4.59 million euros, 32.14% less. More intense was the fall in China, where exports decreased by 77.28% to 580,000 euros, affected by the impact of tariffs applied to pork.
Imports rise and the balance remains in positive
In parallel, Lleida companies imported products worth 166.1 million euros in January, 5.3% more than a year earlier. Purchases of food products fell by 10.2% and stood at 68 million, while those of capital goods grew by 35.7% to 31.8 million.
Despite the decline in exports, the trade balance of the demarcation closed the month with a positive balance of 20.9 million euros, at the beginning of a year marked by the weakness of several of Lleida's main exporting sectors.