Good news from foreign trade: in 2023, Italy recorded a trade surplus of EUR 34.5 billion, compared to 2022 that closed with a negative balance of EUR 34 billion. In 2023, Italy exported goods for EUR 626.2 billion, with a growth in average unit values of 5.3%: Italian companies are increasing their market power, challenging the uncertainties of international markets and occupying new positions in expanding markets.
Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, comments: “Italy’s economy is proving solid even in a very difficult international context. First of all, I refer to the difficulties of our main economic partner, Germany, which directly affect the contraction of our bilateral exports. In general, however, exports are improving and we are managing the difficulties in the energy market. The government has put a strategy for exports at the centre of its policies that goes along with every action in foreign policy to consolidate Italy’s role in the world”.
Geographically speaking, against the slowdown in European markets, there was a strong uptrend in non-European countries: China (+16.8%), OPEC countries (+12.3%), Oceania and other territories (+11.9%), India (+7.6%), Türkiye (+6.4%), Middle East (+5.4%), ASEAN countries (+5.3%), MERCOSUR countries (+4.7%), and the United States (+3.4%).
Sector-wise, sales performance was very positive for machinery and equipment (+8.8%), motor vehicles (+20.8%) and food, beverages and tobacco (+5.8%).
As Tajani recalls, “with a highly diversified economy (we are leaders in the export of around 1,000 products), Italy confirms its vocation for internationalisation, also thanks to the diplomacy of growth: an action that I have strongly promoted, strengthening the collaboration between ICE, SACE, SIMEST and the diplomatic network”.
