MEMPHIS: February 15, 2017. In its latest survey of European SMEs, FedEx says eCommerce is a growth area for Spanish exporters with 86 percent already generating such revenue, higher than the European average of 80 percent.

Some 33 percent of those surveyed reported higher export earnings in the past 12 months and they expect the trend to continue - citing ease of access to export markets and more secure payment systems.

Nearly 70 percent of SMEs said they generate revenue through m-commerce, thanks to the improvements made to web pages and mobile applications, while 79 percent use social networking platforms for sales - particularly Facebook (49 percent) and IM applications (34 percent).

Ian Silverton, FedEx Spain senior manager of Operations observed the acquisition of TNT Express by FedEx last year added a unique European road network to the company's world-class air network, "creating even more possibilities for Spanish SMEs to export both in Europe and abroad."

The study discovered that the main markets for Spanish SME exports within Europe are France (61 percent), Germany (46 percent), Italy (44 percent) and Portugal (43 percent).

Main SME competitors are in Germany (40 percent) followed by France (35 percent), Italy (30 percent) and the United Kingdom ( 2.0 percent).

The survey coincides with a FIATA statement published this week in partial response to Trump Administration trade protectionism comments: "Economic globalization has sadly become the scapegoat to justify many internal shortcomings, but local and global problems are not caused by it.

"Based on the industry's resilience there is no requirement of additional regulation at international level, while the top intervention areas that would offer a development dividend for all countries are infrastructure policy, research, education and awareness," it added.

FIATA said a precondition for such an approach must be a continuous desire by states and governments to improve the welfare of their citizens and therefore politicians should not use a short-sighted approach to decision making.

"Losing faith in international cooperation leads to futile contemplation and sterile fire-fighting from one insurgence to another. In the end social unrest prevails and this could jeopardize peace," it declared.