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This study examines the influence of SMEs’ international marketing competences on their financial export performance during an economic recession. A longitudinal research approach was used in order to observe the evolution of export marketing-related competences and the export performance of SMEs between 2008 and 2012/2013. The results suggest that the overall level of international marketing competences before the recession is positively related to the evolution of their export sales volume during the recession. Regarding the evolution of competences during the crisis period, our study highlights that only the increase in strategic export-related competences seems to be positively correlated with the export performance of SMEs.