The Government launches the ICEX High Impact Competitiveness Plan to boost the internationalisation and resilience of companies in the context of tariffs

Sectoral conference to monitor the tariff situation with Regional Governments

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business has launched an action plan aimed at strengthening the competitiveness and resilience of Spanish companies abroad, in the complex global economic context marked by the trade war.

This initiative, called 'Plan ICEX de Alto Impacto en Competitividad' (ICEX High Impact Competitiveness Plan), falls within the Government's Trade Response and Relaunch Plan and has been developed in collaboration with the Autonomous Communities, which have contributed their instruments and experience to join forces in a complementary way to address the challenges of internationalisation.

The Minister for Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, presented the Action Plan at a press conference, together with the CEO of ICEX, Elisa Carbonell, after finalising it with the autonomous communities at the sectoral meeting of the Interterritorial Council for Internationalisation.

The Minister pointed out that "the ICEX Plan is part of the Government's response to the possible effects of the wider trade crisis, for which we plan to mobilise 14.1 billion euros, starting with an initial layer of financing and protection measures that act as a safety net for companies and workers, and a second layer, with a medium-term vision, to strengthen the resilience of our productive fabric and boost competitiveness".

"A key vector throughout the Plan is the personalised and intensive support for the most exposed companies, with special attention to our SMEs, promoting the development of key aspects such as branding, talent, business size or the positioning of SMEs in value chains", Carlos Cuerpo stressed.

The sectoral meeting also agreed to set up an Observatory to monitor the impact of tariffs on the economy and businesses, which will meet once a month. In addition, in the framework of the 'Régimen 20' initiative, measures for regulatory simplification to facilitate internationalisation and investment attraction will be assessed.

Immediate actions: information and business intelligence

Immediate action focuses on providing information and business intelligence. In this first phase, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business, through ICEX, will implement a personalised assistance plan aimed at the 500 Spanish companies with the highest volume of exports to the United States. Each company will receive regular monitoring and tailored advice. In addition, they will be offered information on market diversification, taking advantage of existing trade agreements (Mercosur, Mexico), cultural and linguistic proximity and the potential of the European single market.

In terms of information dissemination, ICEX will organise weekly seminars and conferences, such as the webinars that are already being held with economic and trade advisors in the United States, and dialogue with the entire export ecosystem will be strengthened through the ICEX Forum, which will be held in July, as a space for debate and co-creation of strategies.

In its 2025 edition, the Forum will organise around 700 bilateral meetings with experts and advisors from 40 countries, facilitating a direct exchange of experiences and recommendations to successfully address the challenges and seize the opportunities arising from the changing international trade landscape.

In addition, the production of up-to-date documentation in multiple formats will be increased and ICEX queries will be resolved in less than 24 hours.

Medium and long-term measures: branding and growth

In the medium term, the plan envisages boosting Spain's image abroad through an international positioning campaign in key markets promoted jointly with other public bodies. This effort will seek to unequivocally associate the Spanish export offer with quality, innovation and differentiation.

At the same time, the Marca & Innovación (Brand & Innovation) programme will be launched, which will train more than 250 CEOs each year, mainly from SMEs, in corporate differentiation strategies. With a special focus on the sectors most exposed to tariff tensions, such as agri-food, this programme will equip business leaders with the necessary tools to turn intangible assets - brand, reputation and know-how - into levers for growth.

To strengthen the muscle of our business fabric, three programmes aimed at business growth will be launched: one to promote open innovation in 200 medium-sized companies each year, another for 700 SMEs to obtain an official rating and advice on the management of intangibles, and a third to accelerate the growth of 200 start-ups through mentoring and access to international and public funding.

With the aim of alleviating the reduced use by companies of public financing instruments for internationalisation, the ICEX's AFIN advisory programme on these resources, which are essential for boosting companies' competitiveness abroad, will be reinforced.

At the same time, a personalised service will be provided to strengthen value chains and a new ICEX-Invest in Spain programme will be activated to connect 100 foreign investors with Spanish SMEs to promote the insertion of Spanish SMEs in global value chains as strategic suppliers, taking advantage of Spain's position as an international platform.

In terms of talent, ICEX will strengthen its alliances with universities and business schools, increase by 10% the number of ICEX internships for SMEs abroad, expand the ICEX VIVES programme to 350 international internships by 2026 and launch senior talent programmes.

This will be backed up by strong institutional support, which will give continuity to roadshows and business meetings in the main markets.

For the implementation and dissemination of all these measures, ICEX will rely on its network of strategic alliances, which includes the autonomous communities, sectoral associations, the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, the CEOE and other organisations, with the aim of also promoting public-private partnerships.

Non official translation