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Spain - Spanish fashion takes on Mexico

EU trade deals lower customs duties and other barriers to trade helping small businesses grow

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Spanish fashion has been experiencing a boom in recent years with many Spanish businesses increasingly keen to take advantage of EU trade deals to reach markets where demand is high.

One of these businesses is Optim, a Barcelonan company which manufactures high quality frames and sunglasses. The company, founded in 1980, is fortunate to have forged close collaborations with key Spanish designers such as Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada and Armand Basi, earning the brand valuable recognition in a competitive market.

Optim, like many Spanish fashion brands, has benefitted from the EU’s trade agreements with countries such as Mexico, Peru and Colombia. Trade agreements reduce customs duties and other barriers to trade, enabling European companies to offer their products at more attractive prices. For Optim, this has been particularly important in the Latin American market, enabling the company to keep pace with competition from the United States.

The Mexican market has been particularly lucrative. In recent years, Optim has seen an average increase in turnover of 22%, totalling €160,000 in 2015.

Find out more about the EU's trade relations with Mexico