Spain is buying ever more from China, but its sales to the Asian market are growing far less strongly. Between January and August 2026, imports from China totaled €35.879 billion, up 11.1% from a year earlier. China thus moved ahead of Germany, which accounted for nearly €33.7 billion in imports and grew by 2.5%, widening its lead as Spain’s largest supplier of goods to about €2.2 billion.
The imbalance is evident in the other direction of trade. Spanish companies exported €5.383 billion worth of goods to China over those eight months, barely 0.7% more than a year earlier. This resulted in a bilateral deficit of €30.496 billion, 13% higher than in the same period of 2025. For every €100 worth of products Spain bought from China, it sold roughly €15 there.
The monthly data paint a more favorable picture for exporters, although not enough to alter the cumulative balance. In August, Spanish sales to China rose 41.5%, driven by copper ore, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business. That increase must be viewed alongside the far more moderate growth for the year as a whole: a strong month may reflect specific transactions without yet signaling a broad-based expansion by companies in that market.
A relationship that extends beyond consumer products
China’s role as a supplier extends to equipment and components used by Spanish companies. ICEX’s country report shows that in 2025, the main imported categories were electrical machinery and equipment, mechanical machinery and equipment, and vehicles and components. Together, they accounted for approximately 42% of Spain’s purchases from the Asian country.
This composition helps explain the business significance of the relationship. Imports supply both end consumers and productive activities requiring machinery, equipment and parts. For a purchasing company, access to this supply can broaden its sourcing options; at the same time, concentrating essential components in a single country of origin increases exposure to logistical disruptions or changes in trade conditions. The effect depends on the product, the available alternatives and the ability to replace the supplier.
The gap between purchases and sales had been widening before 2026. According to ICEX, Spain imported about €50.25 billion from China in 2025, up 11.2%, while exports totaled nearly €7.972 billion, an increase of 6.8%. The deficit reached €42.278 billion. The recovery in exports was not enough to offset the sharper rise in imports.
On the export side, pharmaceuticals, minerals and meat ranked among Spain’s main shipments to China. This concentration makes it particularly important to track developments by sector: an improvement in raw materials does not necessarily mean opportunities are increasing for consumer-goods manufacturers or industrial suppliers.
The challenge of selling more
The contrast with Spain’s overall foreign trade is significant. Between January and August, Spain exported a record €264.182 billion in goods, up 3.2%. Sales to China therefore grew below the national average despite the country’s importance as a source of imports.
For companies looking to expand their presence there, the size of the market must be matched by a specific assessment of market access: product requirements, approvals, distribution channels and establishment costs. The growth in Spain’s purchases underscores China’s strength as a supplier; turning that relationship into higher sales requires identifying what demand each company can meet and under what conditions it can compete.
