Por Pablo Arranz 
CEV Alicante considers that the tariffs promoted by the President of the United States (USA), Donald Trump, «put on alert» the exporting fabric of Alicante, so the business community has called for «unity» from the European Union (EU).
This was conveyed during the event ‘Tariffs in the spotlight. How do they affect the local economy?’, held at the headquarters of the business association in the city of Alicante, where the economic consequences of these tariff policies and the responses proposed by the business sector have been analyzed.
In the opening of the event, the President of CEV Alicante, Joaquín Pérez, has warned about the «effects» of the new tariff policy on «key sectors for the province», and has pointed out that the USA is the fourth global destination for exports from Alicante and the first outside the EU, «so any trade restriction affects particularly».
Only in 2024, the Valencian Community exported goods to the USA worth 2.850 billion euros. In the case of Alicante, the most exposed sectors are footwear, clothing, and agri-food, with the latter being the sector with the highest volume of exports in the last year, as specified by the business association in a statement.
However, the President of CEV Alicante has highlighted that «for now» there is a 90-day truce for the highest tariffs, «so it is time to negotiate» and «for Europe to take advantage of this to move towards greater strategic autonomy and strengthen ties with more reliable trading partners.» At the business level, «to accelerate market diversification, to seek new geographies, to strengthen our position in an increasingly changing global environment.»
«BLOW» TO FOOTWEAR
After the institutional opening, representatives of sectors affected by tariffs have expressed their concerns and proposals. In this sense, the president of Avecal, Vicente Pastor, believes that this «imposition» represents «a blow to the footwear industry, strongly oriented towards exports».
However, Pastor has also emphasized that «in these moments of commercial tension, it is essential for the EU to maintain a united front and constructive dialogue with the USA.» «This situation once again highlights the need to have a regulatory framework that does not undermine the competitiveness of our industrial sector. Acting with serenity is key to protecting our interests, as the USA is the first non-EU destination for our footwear exports,» he points out.
From an industrial perspective, the general secretary of Fempa, Rosa María Sánchez, has stressed that «the European response must go beyond statements»: «Facing protectionist measures, the EU must strengthen its trade policy and support affected companies with real measures.»
In this regard, she advocates for establishing «tax incentives, support for innovation, reducing energy costs, and strengthening trade agreements with third countries.» She also warns of the «risk of competitive disadvantage against countries with less demanding regulations, capable of absorbing tariffs without compromising prices.»
«BETTING ON LOCAL ALMONDS»
On the other hand, the president of Asaja Alicante, José Vicente Andreu, has focused on the «impact» on the agri-food sector and has highlighted specific cases such as the wine industry, olive oil, or nuts.
«Tariffs threaten the international projection of Alicante wines just when they were going through a phase of expansion in the USA,» stated Andreu, who pointed out regarding olive oil that, «even if it is not a strategic market for the province, the loss of market share would directly impact local crops.»
The representative of the agricultural entity has been «especially critical» of the «lack of European reciprocity in protecting crops such as almonds»: «It makes no sense that Californian almonds enter the nougat campaign without tariffs. We are facing an opportunity for the nougat industry to bet on local almonds as a symbol of quality and commitment to our territory.»
And he noted: «When external attacks come, the deficiencies we have in Europe are evident, which should definitively bet on the primary sector as strategic to ensure food sovereignty.»
On the other hand, the manager of Set Imperio, Francisco Mira, has focused on the «structural difficulties that European companies face in the current context.» «Competing with countries like China or India is not only complicated due to price issues, but also due to differences in labor costs, which decisively affect competitiveness,» he believes.
«While in these countries the costs of personnel are significantly lower, here we assume much higher burdens that impact the final product price. If we add to that the imposition of new tariffs, we are facing a perfect storm that further complicates our position in international markets,» Mira assessed.
BARCALA: «EU’S OWN STRATEGY»
On his part, the mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, intervened to close the event and urged the EU «to actively participate in the tariff war currently being waged on the world stage, with its own strategy that defends the interests of Europeans and their significant economic potential as a market.»
«We are talking about well-established strategies with very specific purposes, such as protecting our own against situations of imbalance or inequality in markets,» stated Barcala.
And he emphasized: «The EU must also have its own strategy and not settle for being a mere spectator, because we have gone from being a superpower and producers to mere consumers, and as a result, we become pawns in the commercial wars being fought among the most powerful.»
In the same line, the mayor believes that the EU «must also protect and watch over the interests of Europeans and engage in the ongoing negotiation among the different blocs, without being the little brother or intervening with complexes to defend all the significant economic potential it has as a market and reclaim a predominant role, always thinking about Europeans.»