Spain: Exporting products

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Customs procedures for export in Spain

Customs Procedures

Restrictions: It is prohibited to export cultural artefacts, specimens of flora and fauna which are threatened with extinction and war material, arms, munitions and such like.
Export Taxes: None
Export Clearance: The export procedure foresees, in principle, two stages:
First the exporter/declarant presents the goods, his export declaration and, when necessary, his export authorization or license at the customs office responsible for the place where he is established or where the goods are packed or loaded for export (Article 161 (5) CC). The export declaration must be submitted by electronic means, through the Export Control System (ECS).

Subsequently, the goods are presented at the customs office of exit which examines the goods presented based on the information received from the customs office of export and makes sure that they correspond to those declared and supervises their physical departure (Article 332 UCC IA).

In the case of goods exported by rail, post, air or sea, the customs office of exit may be the office competent for the place where the goods are taken over under a single transport contract for transport to a third country (e.g. port, airport, railway station).
Necessary Declaration: The Customs declaration must contain the commercial invoice, which is a record or evidence of the transaction between the exporter and the importer. The commercial invoice contains the basic information on the transaction:
- code, number, name, quantity and price of the product;
- destination of the goods and the address of the person or place of reception;
- name and registration number of the transport company;
- lieu de stockage.

Controlling the Quality of the Products

Quality Control Organizations: Bureau Veritas Spain
SGS Group, Spain

Organize a transportation of goods to and from Spain

Main Useful Means of Transport: According to the latest data by Eurostat, road transport accounted for more than 90%. In term of road transport of goods in the national territory, Spain is among the first countries european in 2018.

Rail traffic accounts for only 5% of the traffic. It is slow, it is not very reliable and the railway network is not well-maintained - these are definitely the causes for poor rail traffic. Trains are especially borrowed by the iron and steel products, mining products, coal, propane and butane. Combined transport of goods (especially combined road and rail transport) is expanding.

Spain is the second country in Europe in terms of volumes of seaborne freight handling. Freight traffic in Spanish ports exceeded 500 million tons. The increase in port freight transport activity in Spain was 6.8%, compared to 2017. Container freight traffic reaches 17 million TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) in December 2019.
Algeciras is the largest port in Spain, the third largest on the Mediterranean, and the ninth largest port in Europe in terms of trade, and around 70 million tons of cargo pass through it per year. The Port of Valencia is Spain's second-busiest port. Its economic importance derives from the fact that about 50% of the country's GDP is generated within a radius of 350 km from the port, as well as half of the country's employment. The nearby Ports of Sagunto and Gandia fall under the supervision of Valencia's Port Authority, and the port area saw a total of 70.7 million tons of cargo in 2018 (latest data available). The port of Barcelona is Spain's third-largest port and it plays a significant role in cargo shipping, managing 63 million tons of cargo each year. Barcelona has the largest port in the region of Catalonia, which produces 18% of the country's GDP.

Air freight represents more than 800 000 million tons in 2018. Madrid airport recorded a total of almost 500 000 tons of cargo, while Barcelona airport almost 150 000 tons in 2018 (latest data available by Eurostat). Both are part of the top 20 airports in the EU.

By Sea

Ports: State Ports
Independent Ports
Transport Professionals: Logistics Spain
Government Transport Organisations: Ministry of Transport

By Air

Airports: Spanish Airports and Aerial Navigation
Transport Professionals: Iberia
Air Europa
Spanish Air Transport Companies
Government Transport Organisations: Ministry of Transport

By Road

Transport Professionals: Spanish Goods Transport Confederation (CETM)
Government Transport Organisations: Ministry of Transport

By Rail

Transport Professionals: Renfe
Adif
Euskotren
Captrain España
Transfesa
Government Transport Organisations: Ministry of Transport

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