Portuguese exports of metallurgy and metalworking reached a new record of 24,169 million euros in 2025, accelerating the annual growth rate from 2.2% in 2024 to 3% last year, according to the sector association.
In a statement released this Tuesday, 10th, the Association of Metallurgical, Metalworking and Related Industries of Portugal (AIMMAP) demands, however, “urgent action from the Government and the European Commission” in the face of “increasing pressure on European and national competitiveness”.
Pointing out that Metal Portugal exports represent 33% of the entire Portuguese manufacturing industry, the association warns that the numbers obtained “will not be repeated anytime soon if the European Commission does not reverse the course of the measures it has been adopting”.
“The global economy continues to face macroeconomic shocks with unpredictable consequences. We are witnessing a structural change: from a paradigm of globalization to one of protectionism”, warns the executive vice-president of AIMMAP, Rafael Campos Pereira, cited in the statement.
For the association leader, “Europe has failed to balance its economic policies, leaving unprotected an industry that competes with countries that often apply broad protectionist measures”.
As a result, “the metallurgical and metalworking industry, as a result of inappropriate European measures, is today subject to a highly unbalanced competitive environment”.
According to the AIMMAP leader, the new European framework for tariffs on steel imports, as well as regulations such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), are “strongly penalizing the competitiveness and competitive situation of the manufacturing industry” and, “in the short/medium term, will lead Europe towards a process of deindustrialization”.
In this context, the association reiterates that the Portuguese Government “must defend and support the position of its manufacturing industry” to “protect the country’s most exporting sector” and “the true engine of national economic growth”.
“Portugal cannot continue to be a mere spectator while European measures severely penalize the manufacturing industry, particularly through tariffs on steel imports, which create serious asymmetries in relation to other global competitors”, he argues, demanding “firm and immediate action from the Government”.
Specifically, Metal Portugal demands that the Portuguese executive take measures to mitigate the effects of European tariffs on steel, guarantee competitive conditions equal to those of international competitors and ensure stability for companies that “support thousands of direct and indirect jobs”.
In this context, the association applauds the agreements signed between the European Union (EU) and Mercosur and between the EU and India, highlighting that “Portugal must know how to take advantage of the opportunities that will certainly arise”.
“I have no doubt that these agreements will result in an increase in trade with both blocs. If the European Commission and the Government are attentive and aligned with the above, these trade agreements are a golden opportunity to refocus the European economy on the global geostrategic map”, says Rafael Campos Pereira.
According to AIMMAP data, in December alone the sector exported 1,792 million euros, a year-on-year growth of 3.5% “despite the significant disruptions recorded that month caused by the customs crisis due to the poor implementation of the new IT system”.
The association highlights that 2025 recorded four of the best monthly results ever, with 75% of national sectoral exports going to European Union countries and 25% going to extra-EU markets.
The main trading partners continued to be Spain, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy and the USA, with the first two countries standing out with the highest absolute growth last year.
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