Spanish tile exports slump 15% before Iran war: US collapses 30% on tariffs
Tile Wars · markets · · TileWars Editorial
Spain's ceramic tile sector closed Jan-Feb 2026 down 14-15% to €508M, dragged by a 30% collapse in US shipments due to 15% EU tariffs. France overtakes the US as top client — and all this before the Iran war erupted in March.
The Spanish ceramic tile industry closed the first two months of 2026 with a sharp contraction in foreign sales, even before the outbreak of the Iran war in late February exposed the sector to a fresh wave of disruption. According to the Territorial Trade Directorate in Valencia and ICEX data, tile exports in February reached €267.5 million, down 11.3% year-on-year, extending the 18% drop recorded in January. The cumulative figure for the two-month period stands at €508 million, a 15% decline versus 2025 — and below 2024's €541 million. The US tariff blow The biggest shock came from the United States. Shipments to the American market fell 30% in Jan-Feb , from €86.9M to €60.1M — a 37.6% drop in cumulative terms. It is the sixth consecutive month of declines since the EU was hit with 15% tariffs in August. The damage has been so severe that France has overtaken the US as the sector's top client , despite also contracting 11.4% to €60.1M in February. Other top-10 markets also slipped: Italy (€24.2M), Germany (€20M), Portugal (€20M) and Morocco (€17.6M). On the upside, the UK (€30.6M), Israel (€26.2M, +23% in Feb), Greece (€15.1M) and Belgium grew. Iran war: the next shock These figures predate the March escalation in the Persian Gulf. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has frozen maritime trade in the region, forcing urgent shipments to the Gulf to be rerouted overland from Turkey — pushing container costs up more than 10%. Energy prices have also surged, slowing production lines. March data is expected to confirm a further deterioration: Spanish construction-sector gas consumption fell 12.2% that month. Castellón province holds the line Despite the tile crisis, the Castellón province as a whole grew exports 2.1% to €1.54 billion in Jan-Feb, thanks to other industries. In February alone, machinery exports surged 93%, chemicals 65%, and fruits and vegetables 10.2%. Tiles now account for just 31% of provincial exports — a structural shift. Frits, glazes and colors: a brighter spot The frits, glazes and ceramic colors segment exported €73.2M in February, up 5%. The two-month accumulated figure is €127.3M (-6%), but Italy — the top client at €21M — is recovering (+13.8% in February), while Algeria collapsed 31.8% to €12.1M. Sources: Castellón al Día (El Mundo) · Castellón Plaza · ICEX