Spanish tile industry: 2025 efficiency gains and 2026 slowdown from geopolitical crisis
Tile Wars · trends · · Tile Wars Editorial
After an efficiency-driven 2025, the Iran conflict and US tariffs hit Spanish ceramic production in spring 2026.
The Spanish ceramic industry faces a complex duality: after a 2025 marked by energy optimization, the outbreak of the conflict in Iran and international trade tensions have hit production in the spring of 2026. 2025 balance: More efficient but with rising costs Energy bill: Despite reducing specific gas consumption by 5% and electricity by 2%, the sector's overall bill rose by 2.8%, reaching 814 million euros. The CO₂ hit: The cost of carbon emission rights soared by 53%, reaching 56 million euros, due to the EU's cut in free allocations. Self-consumption: Investments in renewables allowed 12% of the sector's electricity demand to come from solar photovoltaic energy. 2026 impact: Tensions in the Middle East and productive collapse Spring drop: After a positive start to the year, instability in Iran and the logistical blockade in the Strait of Hormuz caused a 2.5% contraction in March and a 7.5% collapse in April (second consecutive monthly drop). Export slowdown: Foreign sales in the first quarter fell by 10%. The US market suffered a 31% setback due to tariff policy, returning France to the position of top customer. Future uncertainty: The sector is closely watching the tightening of EU CO₂ regulations for the 2026-2030 period and negotiations for a free trade treaty between the EU and India.