SPAIN (Notifix).- The results of Spain’s furniture foreign trade for the first four months of 2013 show revenues of 510 million euros in sales abroad, representing a 14.3% growth over the same period last year. The behavior in April has been very positive, with a 57.5%growth. France accounts for 31.8% of purchases of furniture manufactured in Spain, with € 162.1 million, followed by Portugal with €48.4 million, Germany €35.3 million, United Kingdom €23 million and the Netherlands with €19.5 million.

The Spanish furniture industry has been going through some very difficult years, affected primarily by the contraction of the domestic market. According to official data, in the 2008-2012 period the number of companies in the furniture sector has fallen by 21.5%, which means a loss of 4,212 companies (of the existing 19,581 in 2008 to 15,369 in 2012). The sector has contracted by 52.7% from 2007 to 2011, with a loss of 6,299.5 million euros (11,961.9 million of euros in 2007 to 5,662.4 million in 2011). Given this scenario, the industry has turned its efforts towards external markets. Consequently, on June 19 during the general assembly of FEDERMUEBLE, the federation of the Spanish furniture industry, its members identified a number of objectives to promote the internationalization and improve the competitiveness of exporting companies in the sector.