The deputy of the Canarian Nationalist Group (CCa), Cristina Calero, asked a few days ago in the parliamentary commission of Economy, about the actions to promote the commercialization of Canarian products in the international market.
According to Calero, “the commercial tradition of the Canary Islands with the exterior is not a new aspect.” The deputy explained that “our archipelago was a reference in the export of cereals (even being part of the granary of Europe), alcohol, cochineal, barilla, wine (main wine exporters of Spain in the 17th century) even the canning industry shaped the ports and cities of our archipelago.”
In this line, she highlighted that, in the first semester of 2024, Canarian exports grew by 24.2%, compared to the fall of the rest of the State. “Our products have retained customers in international markets, where commercial relations date back centuries and have also found new markets, such as Poland, where in January 2024 a shipment of Canary Islands bananas was sent for the first time,” added Calero.
In this sense, the deputy of Coalición Canaria explained that the label “made in the Canary Islands” already transcends the borders of the continent thanks to the consolidation of these markets. In her presentation, the parliamentarian emphasized wine, “one of the most important Canarian products both in production and export.” At the same time, she pointed out that “there are wineries in Lanzarote where 90% of the production of rosé wine is destined for the USA.”
In her presentation, the deputy of Lanzarote was interested in the uncertainty generated by the recession situation of destination countries of products “such as Germany that enters recession, or France that slows down its growth.” Likewise, she showed her concern about the intentions of the new US government “which has expressed the possibility of increasing tariffs.”
According to Calero, “this will condition the export of Canarian products such as wine, where there are wineries in the Canary Islands that have opted for promotion campaigns of their product and have managed to have 90% of their rosé wine in the US market.”
The deputy of Lanzarote pointed out that Canarian companies also face other obstacles in logistics such as the cost of freights and the reception times of merchandise, “which have been extended due to the current war conflicts and which conditions the elaboration of by-products in the Canarian market.”
The nationalist parliamentarian argued that “economic diversification is bearing fruit and there are sectors such as fashion that already represents 2.8% of the national GDP, ahead of the primary sector.” In this sense, Cristina Calero focused on the effort that administrations must make to promote the commercialization and improve the positioning of the “Canarian brand.”