The Principality is the third community that received the most resources from January to June, only behind Madrid and Catalonia, compared to the twelfth place it occupied in 2022.
- The energy sector leads in attracting funds from abroad, followed by civil engineering and the manufacture of mineral products.
- Exports increased by 44% in July and the Principality now has 630 companies that sell abroad on a regular basis.
Asturias received 594.9 million in foreign investment in the first half of the year, far exceeding the figure for the whole of last year (527 million). The Principality is the third community that received the highest volume of investment from January to June, only surpassed by Madrid (7.94 billion) and Catalonia (1.761 billion), according to data released by the Secretary of State for Trade through the Foreign Investment Register.
Most of the foreign investment went to the energy sector (81.81%), which attracted foreign funds worth 486 million; followed by civil engineering (15.15%), with 90 million. Third place went to the manufacture of mineral products, and fourth to the education sector. In terms of the country of origin of the investments, 82% came from the UK, followed at a considerable distance by Mexico.
In an international context marked by uncertainty, foreign investment is used as a thermometer to measure the strength of the economy, in this case the Asturian economy, and investor confidence. The data show that this indicator has risen with some intensity in the Principality in recent years. For example, in 2022, the region was in twelfth place in the ranking of the autonomous regions that received the most foreign investment; now it has climbed to third place.
Sekuens Agency has registered more than 290 foreign capital companies in Asturias. The vast majority have focused their investments in the services sector (55.03%), followed by industry (38.94%) and construction (6.04%).
Balance of exports
Asturian companies are also looking abroad. Exports increased by 44.7% in July compared to the same month in 2023 and rose by 19.9% compared to June. Zinc continues to be the most exported product so far this year, with an increase of 14.9% compared to the same period last year. Also notable is the increase in sales of battle tanks, which rose from 18 million in the first half of last year to 66.9 million so far this year.
By export destination, France is consolidating its position as the main customer for Asturian companies, with an increase of 3% compared to 2023. Also noteworthy is the increase recorded by the United Kingdom, with an increase of 54.8%, consolidating its position as the second destination for Asturian exports. The increase in sales to areas such as Southeast Asia, the Arabian Peninsula and North America is also notable, according to Asturex data, and the number of regular exporters has risen by 5% so far this year, to 630, which shows the interest of Asturian companies in opening up to international markets.
