Most of large businesses and just three Greek regions – Attica, Central Macedonia and the Peloponnese – seems to be Greek exports, which requires measures to take more into the “game” for the benefit of the Greek economy. However, Greece’s export performance (percentage of exports to GDP) has tripled over the years of the budgetary crisis, food exports have a linear increase in central Macedonia, and the commercial deficit, although it remains very high, is not only high, Capital equipment markets (eg, machinery) from abroad, to support the needs of businesses for productive expansion or modernization, in the context of the NSRF programs, the development law and the recovery fund. The above was announced during today’s press conference for the presentation of the study “Mapping of Greece’s Exporting Activity by 2020-2024” by the Exporters Association-SEVE.

As the SEVE president, Simos Diamantidis, pointed out, as part of the effort to change the productive model of Greece, more innovative products need to be produced, but not all can be consumed within the country, so they must be exported. “But here is the problem that 80% of exports to Greece come from 20% of big business businesses. So we need to help small and medium -sized enterprises export, which is difficult because the Greeks do not work together (to get a critical size) and this is a problem. We have also noticed that 82% of Greece’s exports do three regions: Attica, Central Macedonia and Peloponnese. The remaining 10 only make 18% of Greece’s exports and this is also a problem. It will also begin a collaboration in the near future with ELSTAT, so that we can see what we introduce from raw materials. Because we import raw materials or primary products of about 10 billion euros, so we must (…) to give directions to the regions (…) to produce the raw materials we import, “Mr Diamantidis said, adding that the image would need more conventions between small and medium -sized businesses so that they can be able to go to larger businesses.

He added that exports, which in 2024 amounted to 100 billion euros (about 49.5 billion to products and $ 51.5 billion to services) are very important for Greece, since every four of their growth units mean a GDP growth unit and additional billions of billions of taxes, “to reduce taxes” and ” in Greece »is now very powerful abroad. However, the deficit remains, which stands at € 34 billion, as Greece exports € 50 billion products and imports goods of 84 billion. We export more products so that we can reduce the deficit and to be able to see better days after 2032. So exports are highlighted in a very important factor in increasing GDPs in the country and reducing state lending, ”he said, adding that more investors would need to be in charge of Lighting and / or overreach, justice, energy costs and licensing.

Weaknesses and forces by northern Helladic District

The Greek exports of food are moving all the time, with a linear growth and a trade surplus, in which Central Macedonia contributes the largest part, according to the study by the executive Vice President of SEVE, Panagiotis Hassapis. The exports of the region’s food-cars almost doubled in the five years 2020-2024. With total (not only food) exports of more than € 8 billion in 2024, this region is at the export pioneering of northern Greece and ranks second among the 13 regions, shortly after Attica (exports of 27.1 billion) and followed by the Peloponnese (€ 5.2 billion). Northern Macedonia (13.2%) is the main destination for exports in the region due to the oil pipeline to Skopje, followed by Germany (8.9%) and Bulgaria (7.6%), Italy (5.4%) and the US (4.6%). Thessaloniki starred in the region, with exports of € 5.6 billion last year and the first export product is petroleum products, while in all other regional units – except Kilkis, where the metals prevail – the food industry dominates their export profile. Another common element is the concentration of export industries in specific sectors in the various regional units (eg, in Kilkis in aluminum and lifts, in Halkidiki in Elia, Pella in peaches and in Pieria in olive, paper and kiwi).

In one of the last positions in the EU Regional Competitiveness Index -225th among 234 regions -Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is ranked, but “fights” it with exports, with a slight increase each year -at € 1.19 billion in 2024, compared to $ 208 and € 208 million. The area exports is food, chemicals and textiles, with Turkey, with the first among the countries that receive its exports with 9.8%, mainly due to Greek cotton sales to neighboring. In Western Macedonia, the main exporting product is textiles (30.8% of total exports), mainly due to fur, while the best customers for the goods in the area are Albania and Italy. This region also presents the specificity of the changes brought by the apoliticalization, while presenting large intra -regional inequalities.

Overall for Greece, the EU remains the main trading partner, absorbing 55% of exports (mainly in the markets of Italy, Germany, Cyprus and Bulgaria), while the remaining 45% is directed to third countries (eg Balkan states, Turkey and the US). The oil industry is first ranked in Greek exports (with 30.2%of total export value) followed by food (18.8%), chemicals (13.4%), metals (10.9%) and machines and devices (8.7%). It is recalled that SEVE represents 800 export companies across the country, with a total turnover of € 55 billion, exports worth 30 billion and 80,000 employees.

The address was addressed by the Vice -Mayor of Extraversion of Central Macedonia, who pointed out that this study “is not just a statistical footprint” but a guide and a valuable tool for forming an extroversion strategy in Central Macedonia.