- The director of Igape, Covadonga Toca, underlines that Galicia closed 2025 with record export figures and an increasingly diversified and technology-driven external sector
- She notes that the Igape office in the Asian country, active since 2024, has already promoted initiatives with Galician companies and clusters in sectors such as food, automotive, technology, industry and healthcare
- She highlights that in 2025 a total of 253 Galician companies exported to the Japanese market, worth 151.6 million euros, nearly 25% more than the previous year
Santiago de Compostela, 12 May 2026
The director of Igape, Covadonga Toca, today highlighted the growing interest of Galician companies in the Japanese market and stressed the role being played by the Igape office in Japan in helping Galician companies enter one of the most sophisticated and demanding markets in the world. She did so during the opening of the event Key points for accessing the Japanese market: opportunities for Galician companies, held this morning in Santiago de Compostela.
During her address, Toca Carús said that Galicia is approaching this scenario “with an external sector that is increasingly solid, diversified and competitive”, recalling that the region closed 2024 with record export figures and that 2025 confirmed that international strength. In this regard, she noted that Galician companies “are exporting with more added value, greater technological capacity and a wider diversification of markets”, in an international context marked by geopolitical uncertainty and changes in global supply chains.
The director of Igape also underlined that internationalisation “is no longer a complementary policy, but a strategic tool for business growth”, which is why the Xunta is mobilising more than 13 million euros this year in programmes supporting exports and overseas promotion. This support includes actions linked to participation in international trade fairs, trade missions, market research, overseas establishment, and international and digital marketing.
The role of the Igape offices
In this context, Toca focused on the work of the Igape offices, created to support Galician companies as they enter strategic markets and reduce barriers to international access. She noted that these offices provide practical support, direct contacts and local knowledge to companies interested in opening up new business opportunities abroad.
The Igape office in Japan, active since April 2024, has already promoted initiatives linked to international trade fairs such as Foodex Japan, Mindtech, Stonegal and Conxemar, as well as reverse trade missions and meetings with organisations such as Asime, Clusaga and representatives of the Galician wine sector. According to the director, almost thirty service requests have already been handled from Galician companies interested in the Japanese market.
The data, she pointed out, bear out this trend. In 2025, a total of 253 Galician companies exported to Japan, worth 151.6 million euros, representing an increase of nearly 25%. The automotive sector accounts for more than 60% of Galician exports to the Asian country, although sectors such as agri-food, chemicals, technology, healthcare, industry and digital solutions also stand out. “Japan particularly values aspects in which Galicia excels, such as quality, specialisation, industrial capacity, reliability and long-term relationships,” Toca concluded.
