Editor's Note
This editor’s note highlights the key facts and market implications behind “War Plummets Castellón Ceramic Sales in the Midd”, with emphasis on sourcing, product fit, fabrication, logistics, or buyer impact.
The armed conflict unleashed in the Middle East not only represents a humanitarian catastrophe of enormous scale. It has also had a direct impact on the global economy, with the rising cost of fuels and the paralysis of commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, forcing the use of longer, and therefore more expensive, alternative routes. This is something the ceramic companies of Castellón are suffering on several fronts simultaneously, as are other sectors in the province. The most recent economic situation report from the Valencian Business Confederation (CEV) details that both the ceramic tile industry and its related sectors are among the most exposed to the adverse effects of the war, due to the importance of export activity, the weight of energy in their cost structure, and their high percentage of internationalization. A negative impact that is already clearly visible in sales to the conflict zone.
Data from the Castellón Chamber of Commerce on export certificates for all types of products to Middle Eastern markets reflects the severe downturn. "The months of March and April have recorded drastic drops of 71.63% and 83.66%, respectively, compared to the same period last year," explains Joaquín Andrés, head of the Internationalization area at the institution.
Most of these exports correspond to the tile industry, both in ceramic products and glazes.
Plunge in Exports
In the breakdown, the sharpest declines coincide with some of the biggest buyers of ceramic made in Castellón. In the global ranking, the United Arab Emirates held the 15th position in 2025 with €61.25 million in sales. Numbers that remained positive in January 2026, but plummeted by 82.46% in March compared to the same period the previous year, while in the first half of April the collapse rose to 92.14%.
Declines in Key Markets
Another decline, although somewhat more moderate, is observed in Saudi Arabia. It occupies the thirteenth position with €66 million sold in 2025. The Chamber's certificates fell by 68.42% in March and 63.06% in April. The rest of the countries in the region have a lower sales volume, but the figures compiled by the Chamber of Commerce follow the same adverse trend. In Kuwait, there was a contraction of 82.61% in March and 90.91% in the first half of April. In Bahrain, it was 79.49% and 92.31% in these two periods, respectively. The case of Iraq is striking, which only retreated by 7.69% in March, while in the first half of April it fell to 90%. Similar figures are recorded in Oman or Qatar. In the latter country, the drop in certificates in April is 96.43%.
This drop in documents issued by the Chamber does not only refer to products from the Castellón ceramic cluster, but the weight of these materials is more than notable. With 2025 data, the sum of tiles and frits accounts for 87% of total exports in Oman, 71% in the United Arab Emirates, 58% in the United Arab Emirates, or 75% in Kuwait. If we take the export volume of the last fiscal year as a reference, just in ceramic tiles there is a market of €185 million at stake in these analyzed countries alone. Another blow for a sector awaiting the definitive resolution from Brussels on changes to free allocations of CO2 emission rights, which could reach this same loss.
Joaquín Andrés laments that this "strong contraction in commercial operations does not respond to a loss of competitiveness of our companies, but to external factors such as insecurity in the region, the increase in logistical costs, and operational complications on trade routes." A constant, geopolitics, that has been occurring in recent years, like the US tariff battle against European products.
Promotion in the World Mecca of Design
Spanish ceramics do not interrupt their promotional activity, despite uncertainty due to the regulatory framework and the war in the Middle East. The sector will be present at the Milan Design Week, considered one of the most important events in the world in this field. The Tile of Spain brand will offer an installation, titled "Spanish Design as a Souvenir," conceived as a contemporary reflection on Spanish design, with ceramics as the central axis.
The space is articulated around 11 sculptural elements clad with ceramics from different Spanish ceramic brands. This participation is part of the promotional plan for Spanish tile in Italy, co-financed by ICEX Spain Export and Investment and Ascer, and managed locally by the Spanish Economic and Commercial Office in Milan. Spanish ceramics will also occupy other spaces at the Fuorisalone in Milan, and several companies will have their own stands at the Salone del Mobile.
Source: Read the original article | Published: April 17, 2026