The Economy of Catalonia

activities in the Spanish market. With this in mind, the following data
warrant attention.
SMEs are unquestionably a dominant feature of Catalonia’s economic structure:
only 2,144 firms have 200 employees or more.The 100 largest companies
have a joint turnover of €160,000 million. But it is precisely these larger
companies that exert most influence on sales to the rest of Spain and they are
capable of reacting to avoid any significant downward trend.
The value of Catalonia’s foreign exports in 2012 outpaced its sales to the
Spanish market by a wide margin. This margin, moreover, is steadily
growing over time. If we take goods that are both made and consumed
in Catalonia into account as well, sales from Catalonia to the rest of
Spain made up 36% of total output, with a tendency to decline. If criteria
based on added value are used, sales to the rest of Spain, in 2005, were
22.6% of the total.
The leading Spanish companies have a firm foothold in Catalonia, which
accounts for approximately 15% -25% of their sales to the Spanish market
as a whole. They will be keen not to lose these sales. Catalonia, of
course, also buys from the rest of Spain, and any reciprocal boycott
would also lead to a fall in the purchase of Spanish goods.
In short, Catalan companies span a broad range of sectors, producing
branded and unbranded consumer goods, industrial goods, energy and a
wide array of services. Some are multinationals under foreign, Spanish or
Catalan ownership which export their products; others are simply Catalan
companies that operate only in Spain. This sectorial diversity, the
worldwide image of many brands, and the declining importance of sales
to the Spanish market mean that the consequences of independence,
though negative, would not be especially serious or long-lasting, provided
Catalonia, formally or informally, stayed in the EU.
Which sectors or companies would bear the brunt if some kind of boycotttook
place or Spaniards felt reluctant to buy «Catalan products»? A
few well-known firms that manufacture products with a strong Catalan
identity would probably be most seriously affected. Catalan cava, notably
that produced by Codorniu and Freixenet, has been a target of past boycotts.
The food products of Casa Tarradellas have also suffered occasionally.
Such campaigns are based on emotions and are short-lived, though
they can leave their mark. To simplify we might say that the sectors most
Impact on the number of companies and multinationals 201