After a stable 2025 with positive production and sales figures, Castelló's tile industry began 2026 with a decline in turnover. This situation is mainly due to United States tariff policies, which have started to affect Spanish exports. Furthermore, the conflict in the Middle East, which began in March, has led to increased energy costs and a cooling of global trade.
United States tariffs, initially set at 15% for European Union imports and later reduced to 10%, were considered manageable by the sector. In fact, in 2025, Spanish tiles surpassed India as the main supplier in this market. However, the uncertainty generated by these changes has taken its toll, with a 30% drop in Spanish tile transactions in January and February 2026 compared to the previous year, dragging overall exports down by 14% in those two months.
The tile employers' association, Ascer, had already warned of a global trade slowdown. Nevertheless, external sales have been maintained, with strong performance in key markets such as the European Union and Latin America. India, a significant competitor, was more severely affected by the Middle East conflict, having to halt its factories for a month due to the disruption of its supply routes.
The final impact on the sector will depend on the conflict's evolution. The increase in costs has not reached 2022 levels, when the invasion of Ukraine occurred. The guaranteed gas supply via Algeria means that potential damages from a closure of Ormuz would be less compared to other producing countries.
The sector also hopes the war will prompt the European Commission to reconsider its new regulatory framework for the CO₂ emissions system in 2026-2030. The initial proposal, which suggested a 34% cut in free allowances, would entail an extraordinary cost of 160 million euros annually for the tile industry. The industry, committed to decarbonization, deems the economic effort proposed by Brussels unfeasible, as the necessary technology for the energy transition is not yet ready. Therefore, it advocates for the introduction of a specific fuel benchmark for ceramics.
