Portugal's Metal Exports Climb 3% to €24B, Bolstering Jobs and Budgets

The Portugal Association of Metallurgical and Metal-Mechanical Industries (AIMMAP) has confirmed that sector exports climbed 3 % last year, touching €24.169 B—a fresh all-time high that cements metalworking as the country’s second-largest export engine after agri-food.

Why This Matters

• €24 B in foreign sales keeps 250 000 industrial jobs on payrolls from Braga to Setúbal.

• 3 % growth beats overall national export pace (estimated at 1.5 %), easing Portugal’s trade deficit.

• Rising orders for wind-tower parts and EV components hint at stable factory shifts through at least mid-2026.

• Stronger cashflow should fatten municipal tax receipts, financing local schools, roads and health centres.

The Numbers Behind the Record

AIMMAP’s year-end customs audit shows metal-mechanical goods made up 15 % of everything Portugal shipped abroad in 2025. Spain remained the top buyer (26 %), followed by Germany (18 %) and France (15 %). In value terms, exports rose €710 M compared with 2024, despite a sluggish euro-zone economy.

• Machinery and precision tools delivered the biggest jump, gaining 6 %.

• Iron and steel structures advanced 4 % on demand for renewable-energy parks.

• Copper and aluminium products slipped 1 % as prices cooled from 2024 peaks.

What Is Fueling the Boom?

Green-tech orders. Iberian wind projects and North-Sea floating platforms increasingly source Portuguese-cut steel plates because of quick turnaround at Leixões and Sines ports.

Electric-vehicle supply chains. Auto plants in Spain and Germany rely on lightweight aluminium housings cast in Aveiro to shave battery-pack weight.

Resilient mid-market SMEs. More than 80 % of exporters are family-owned, debt-light workshops that pivot fast from oil-and-gas piping to hydrogen or defence contracts.

Cheaper ocean freight. A drop in container rates by roughly 30 % after the pandemic logistics crunch made Portuguese shipments price-competitive against Asian suppliers for bulky items.

Cloudy Skies: Costs and Carbon

The record came despite a 12 % average hike in industrial electricity tariffs during 2025. Businesses say the next hurdle is the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) that starts phasing in full tariffs by 2027. AIMMAP warns that non-compliant furnaces could face €50-€90 per tonne surcharges, wiping out thin margins.

What This Means for Residents

• Jobs and wages: Trade unions expect 2 % to 3 % pay rises in 2026 contract rounds, especially for welders and CNC operators. That’s slightly above the projected 1.7 % inflation rate.

• Training opportunities: The Portugal Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP) is rolling out 4-month courses in robotic welding—free for anyone under 35 or currently unemployed.

• Regional spill-overs: Town councils in Viana do Castelo, Águeda and Palmela plan to redirect extra corporate tax revenue into public transport links to industrial parks, cutting commute times.

• Investing: For small investors, analysts at BPI Research flag Euronext-listed Martifer and Efacec as potential beneficiaries of the export wave, though volatility remains tied to steel prices.

Looking Ahead to 2026

Early order books suggest another 1 %–2 % uptick is possible, but much will hinge on:

• Energy-price relief. If natural-gas costs stay under €40/MWh, foundries regain lost competitiveness.

• US infrastructure demand. A strong dollar could make Portuguese bridge and rail components attractive in North America.

• Labour bottlenecks. Without immigration streamlining, AIMMAP estimates 8 000 technical vacancies could remain unfilled, capping production capacity.

Bottom Line for Households and SMEs

For residents, the sector’s momentum translates into steadier paycheques, more apprenticeship slots and healthier municipal budgets. For entrepreneurs, it signals that Portugal’s metalworking ecosystem is not only alive but quietly sophisticated, with enough scale to serve global clean-tech projects while still nimble enough for custom runs. Keeping that edge, insiders say, now depends less on finding new buyers and more on slashing kilowatts per tonne and skilling up the next generation of machinists.