The Spanish export in the furniture sector increased by 2.2 percent during the first quarter of the year, which contrasts with the moderate growth in imports the same period last year with an increase of 2.1 percent compared to 32.1% less than in the same period of 2007.

So it has been found in the report presented today by the National Association of Industrialists and furniture exports from Spain (ANIEME).

The data contained in this report indicate that increased sales abroad Spanish furniture reach over 559 million euros, this represents an increase of 2.2 percent over the same period last year.

The data show that Spain has imported furniture valued at more than one million euros, although the balance of sectoral resulting in a shortfall of more than 450 million euros.

However, while imports registered an increase of 2.1 percent in January to April, has been increasing in a much more moderate than in 2007, which amounted to 32.1 percent in the same months.

The results, made from the database Estacom, warn that exports in March suffered a fall of 14.4%, after sales that were recovered during April to reach 22%.

The principal places of Spanish exports are France, Portugal, United Kingdom and Italy, while in Portugal and Italy have witnessed a significant downturn.

By contrast, France is taking hold in the first position ranking countries of destination of Spanish exports more furniture with 175 million euros and there is a telling figure in countries like Morocco and Russia, which have overtaken the United States rise by almost 50% export furniture industry.

As for the main importing countries China, Italy, Germany and Portugal still located at the head, although all three countries behind China figures have also fallen to the point where Italy has a 7% less than import Spanish that in 2007.

Source: EFECOM

Moreover, when it comes to exports by autonomous regions, Catalonia, Valencia, Madrid and Andalucia are the first and stresses that the Comunitat Valencia and Catalonia account for 55.6 percent of exports on the rest of national territory.