Buying

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Spain: Buying

In this page: Customs Procedures | Industrial and Manufacturing Profile | Identifying a Supplier | Controlling the Quality of the Products | Organizing Goods Transport To and From Spain

Customs Procedures

Export Clearance: The export procedure foresees, in principle, two stages:
First the exporter/declarant presents the goods, his export declaration and, when necessary, his export authorization or license at the customs office responsible for the place where he is established or where the goods are packed or loaded for export (Article 161 (5) CC). The export declaration must be submitted by electronic means, through the Export Control System (ECS).

Subsequently, the goods are presented at the customs office of exit which examines the goods presented based on the information received from the customs office of export and makes sure that they correspond to those declared and supervises their physical departure (Article 332 UCC IA).

In the case of goods exported by rail, post, air or sea, the customs office of exit may be the office competent for the place where the goods are taken over under a single transport contract for transport to a third country (e.g. port, airport, railway station).
Necessary Declaration: The Customs declaration must contain the commercial invoice, which is a record or evidence of the transaction between the exporter and the importer. The commercial invoice contains the basic information on the transaction:
- code, number, name, quantity and price of the product;
- destination of the goods and the address of the person or place of reception;
- name and registration number of the transport company;
- lieu de stockage.
Restrictions: It is prohibited to export cultural artefacts, specimens of flora and fauna which are threatened with extinction and war material, arms, munitions and such like.
Export Taxes: None

Industrial and Manufacturing Profile

Industry represents 20.2% of the Spanish GDP. In the basic manufacturing industry, Spain is well-known for its metallurgy industry (iron, steel, lead and zinc), cement industry and chemical industry. The most important processing industries are ship construction, automobile, heavy equipment, rail equipment and electrical machines. The textile industry, leather and hide products, paper production, shoes, toys and tobacco figure among finished products. In the food sector, olive oil, sugar, wine, canned food, beer and liquor industries dominate.

Sector-specific professional associations

100 professional associations listed for Spain.

Type of Manufacturers

Original Equipment Manufacturers: The OEMs in Spain are usually manufacturers of spare parts for automobile, aeronautics and electronics industries.
Original Design Manufacturers: The sub-contractor designers in Spain are often automobile component manufacturers. One of the most famous companies Ficosa, which has become ODM for all major automobile makers. The ODMs are also present in the electronics and computer sectors.
Subcontractors: The sub-contracting companies represent 11% of the total production of the Spanish industry. Sales represent close to 40 billion Euros and employ 250,000 workers. They are present in all the sectors but particularly in the textile, leather and shoe industry and in paper industry.
Useful Resources: Spanish sub-contracting portal

Identifying a Supplier

Spanish multisector Business directories

All.biz - Spain - Directory of companies in Spain

BizIn Europe Spain - Business directory for Spain

Business Directory - List of companies located in Asturias, Spain.

CEA International - Directory of exporters located in Andalucia, Spain

City By App Spain - Business directory for Spain

Colist Spain - Business directory for Spain

Directorios Cámaras - Directory of Spanish importers and exporters

Empresite - Database of Spanish industrial companies

Enroll Business Spain - Business directory for Spain

EspaInfo - Search engine for companies in Spain

To see 10 more, check out our Business Directories database.

Spanish Marketplaces

Sample of marketplaces incorporated in Spain (A to Z)

Upcoming Trade shows in Spain

EXPODRÓNICA

September 25th, 2023

WORLD ATM CONGRESS

September 25th, 2023

ALIMENTARIA FOODTECH BARCELONA

September 26th, 2023

SINGLE SERVE CAPSULES EUROPE

September 26th, 2023

ALIMENTARIA FOODTECH formerly BTA

September 26th, 2023

MICROGRID GLOBAL INNOVATION FORUM - EMEA

September 26th, 2023

BIOSPAIN

September 26th, 2023

EUROFRUIT

September 28th, 2023

TERMATALIA

September 29th, 2023

OEE OCEAN ENERGY EUROPE

October 1st, 2023

To see 640 more, check out our Trade shows database

Other Useful Resources

Trade Agencies and Their Representations Abroad: Spanish Chambers of Commerce
Spanish Chambers of Commerce

Finding Assistance

Recommended Resource

Controlling the Quality of the Products

Quality Control Organizations: Bureau Veritas Spain
SGS Group, Spain

Organizing Goods Transport To and From Spain

Main Useful Means of Transport: According to the latest data by Eurostat, road transport accounted for more than 90%. In term of road transport of goods in the national territory, Spain is among the first countries european in 2018.

Rail traffic accounts for only 5% of the traffic. It is slow, it is not very reliable and the railway network is not well-maintained - these are definitely the causes for poor rail traffic. Trains are especially borrowed by the iron and steel products, mining products, coal, propane and butane. Combined transport of goods (especially combined road and rail transport) is expanding.

Spain is the second country in Europe in terms of volumes of seaborne freight handling. Freight traffic in Spanish ports exceeded 500 million tons. The increase in port freight transport activity in Spain was 6.8%, compared to 2017. Container freight traffic reaches 17 million TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) in December 2019.
Algeciras is the largest port in Spain, the third largest on the Mediterranean, and the ninth largest port in Europe in terms of trade, and around 70 million tons of cargo pass through it per year. The Port of Valencia is Spain's second-busiest port. Its economic importance derives from the fact that about 50% of the country's GDP is generated within a radius of 350 km from the port, as well as half of the country's employment. The nearby Ports of Sagunto and Gandia fall under the supervision of Valencia's Port Authority, and the port area saw a total of 70.7 million tons of cargo in 2018 (latest data available). The port of Barcelona is Spain's third-largest port and it plays a significant role in cargo shipping, managing 63 million tons of cargo each year. Barcelona has the largest port in the region of Catalonia, which produces 18% of the country's GDP.

Air freight represents more than 800 000 million tons in 2018. Madrid airport recorded a total of almost 500 000 tons of cargo, while Barcelona airport almost 150 000 tons in 2018 (latest data available by Eurostat). Both are part of the top 20 airports in the EU.

By Sea

Ports: State Ports
Independent Ports
Transport Professionals: Logistics Spain
Government Transport Organisations: Ministry of Transport

By Air

Airports: Spanish Airports and Aerial Navigation
Transport Professionals: Iberia
Air Europa
Spanish Air Transport Companies
Government Transport Organisations: Ministry of Transport

By Road

Transport Professionals: Spanish Goods Transport Confederation (CETM)
Government Transport Organisations: Ministry of Transport

By Rail

Transport Professionals: Renfe
Adif
Euskotren
Captrain España
Transfesa
Government Transport Organisations: Ministry of Transport

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