The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, will open the third National Conference on Exports and Internationalization of Companies tomorrow, December 17, at Fiera Milano. The initiative, organized on the occasion of the 18th Conference of Italian Ambassadors in the World with the contribution of ITA, SACE, SIMEST, and CDP, will also see the participation of the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, and Forestry Francesco Lollobrigida, the President of Confindustria, Emanuele Orsini, and the Deputy Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Valentino Valentini.
The Minister said: “We are a global exporting power. Last week, the OECD certified that, in the third quarter of this year, Italy has surpassed Japan and has become the fourth largest exporter globally in terms of value of goods exported. This is a historic achievement, which spurs us to do more and better in favour of the internationalization of our companies”.
The export data released today by ISTAT for the first 10 months of the year confirm that we continue to grow compared to the same period of last year, despite the uncertainties of a constantly evolving geopolitical context.
After our exports had already reached €623 billion in 2024, they increased by 3.4%, reaching €537.5 billion, with a stable trade surplus of €39.6 billion.
With hundreds of registered participants, including entrepreneurs, freelancers, and representatives of trade associations, the Milan Conference will provide more than 150 Heads of our diplomatic missions with the opportunity to meet directly with representatives of our productive and financial sectors in a series of meetings, as well as to explore the tools offered by the Italian Export Action Plan launched by Minister Tajani to strengthen the presence of Made in Italy products on foreign markets. Almost 1,500 working meetings between ambassadors and representatives of the private sector are planned. The Conference will close with a session focusing on the importance of sports diplomacy in promoting the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Milan-Cortina.
The work of the Foreign Ministry’s delegation in Milan will continue on December 18 at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, with a conference on the internationalization of the Italian university system. Our ambassadors will then go to Palazzo Mezzanotte, headquarters of the Italian Stock Exchange, for a meeting dedicated to strengthening collaboration between finance and diplomacy to promote Italy as a privileged destination for foreign investment.
