Spain - EU trade deal is music to the ears of a Spanish manufacturer

Spanish music has a global influence, so it's appropriate that Spanish-made guitars pack a punch in the global market. For Spanish luthiers, the 2011 EU-South Korea trade deal presented a great opportunity because local demand is not sufficient to maintain employment in the sector.

Guitarras Manuel Rodríguez is a Spanish manufacturer of classical guitars. Handcrafting guitars since 1902, the small company is now present in 120 countries around the world – and EU trade deals are helping it do so.

Guitarras Manuel Rodríguez benefited from the 2011 EU-South Korea trade deal because the sharp reduction of trade tariffs enabled Spanish-made goods to more fairly compete with Chinese manufacturers. In fact, over the last three years Guitarras Manuel Rodríguez has increased its sales to South Korea by a factor of eight.

Such strong demand has enabled the company to hire more employees, maintain top quality standards, and keep its production facilities in Spain.

Exports are not the only aspect of EU trade deals that Guitarras Manuel Rodríguez benefits from. The company imports a significant amount of wood from around the world which, thanks to EU trade deals, can be secured at a fair price and in accordance to stringent sustainability measures.

Find out more about the EU's trade relations with South Korea