Spain and the United States - Real Instituto Elcano

88
SPAIN AND THE UNITED STATES
Exhibit 4.10 Negative Aspects Associated with Spain
in the United States and the European Union (%)
It is very difficult to change a country’s image, particularly one that has
become so deeply ingrained in the collective mind. Just as an oil tanker needs
many miles to achieve its cruising speed, change direction or stop, so Spain
requires a lot of time and persistence to alter the perceptions of the country held
abroad. The first place to start is at home. Surveys have shown, for example,
that Spaniards do not regard their country as a major car producer, and yet it is
the world’s seventh-largest manufacturer. If Spanish society does not believe in
the “Made in Spain” brand, it is even more difficult for politicians, promotional
institutions and companies to sell it abroad.
3. Imports from the United States
The United States provides less than 4% of Spain’s total imports (see Exhibit
4.11). Spain ranks 31st among the United States’ export partners (28 th in 1991):
its exports to Spain represent only 0.8% of its world trade (three times less than
to France or the Netherlands).
Just as the European Union, particularly Germany and France, is
increasingly Spain’s main foreign trade partner (and since May 2004 there
are ten more EU countries), so the United States’ share of Spanish imports
is declining.