(Finance) – “In the first four months of 2024, exports to non-EU countries grew by 2.2% and almost reached 100 billion euros, ahead of what happened in 2023. The export numbers to non-EU countries -EU of April 2024 confirm the now consolidated fluctuating behavior. Exports of energy products continue to decline but a positive signal comes from the growth in foreign sales in other sectors, especially consumer goods, which we hope will also occur for trade. with EU countries”. This is what the president of ICE Agency, Matteo Zoppas commenting i extra-EU export data for April 2024 released today by Istat.
“In detail, the variability that has characterized the trend of exports to non-EU countries for over a year continues; in April 2024 – underlines Zoppas – a further sign reversal was recorded with a growth of +3.4% compared to March 2024 (a month which had marked a reduction of -4.5% compared to February 2024 which in turn had instead marked a growth of +7.6% compared to January of the same year). Energy exports are down, at -19.2% compared to March 2024, affected by international geopolitical instability, while a good signal comes from the sale of consumer and instrumental goods, at +6.1 and +5 respectively, 8% compared to March 2024. As with the March data, the overall result is conditioned by operations linked to the shipbuilding sector; if they are excluded, the growth in Italian exports compared to March drops to +0.9%”.
“To be noted in the annual comparison, – concludes the president of ICE Agency – the growth in sales to all non-EU partners, particularly large towards Turkey (+68.6%), the United Kingdom (+39.9%), and Japan (+23.0%), the only exception being Switzerland which marks a reduction of -6.5%. Sales to China are rising again for the first time this year at +8.2% compared to the same month of 2023. In recent months the data relating to the Chinese market had been affected by the comparison with record exports of pharmaceutical-related goods to treatment for Covid19 in the first months of 2023″.