(Finance) – “La export growth of 1.7% recorded in February 2024, compared to the same month of 2023, is part of a highly volatile context of difficult predictability. The data is characterized by strong divergences between destination countries: in the USA, exports in February 2024 grew by +23.7% compared to the same month of 2023, in China, for which any forecast is difficult, they fell by -57.6 %, as well as in Germany where we recorded a drop of -5.4%, continuing a trend that has been going on for 11 months now. We are therefore faced with a situation marked by profound uncertainties also caused by the persistence of international geopolitical tensions”. Thus the president of the ICE Agency, Matteo Zoppascommenting on the export data relating to February 2024 released today by Istat..
“In the first two months of 2024 the Italian trade balance was positive for 8.5 billion euros, an encouraging figure considering that in the same period of 2023 it was negative for -2.1 billion. Italian exports in the period January- February 2024 exceeded 100.8 billion euros thanks to the good performance of the media transport (+18.1%), of machinery (+6.6%) andfood (12.7%),” he added.
“In the period January-February 2024, exports to China decreased by -52%, a trend which however discounts the exploit of the pharmaceutical sector in the same period of 2023, equal to 3.3 billion euros compared to 114 million euros in the first two months of 2024. If the pharmaceutical sector is excluded, the exports to China, in the first two months of 2024, grew by 16.6%. Sales slow down towards Germany which in the period January-February 2024 fell by 4.1%, due to the export performance of the metals sector (-17.1%), textiles and clothing (-5%) and furniture (-10%) “, Zoppas then underlined.
“The comparison with the trend of the main European exporters confirming consumers’ preference for Made in Italy products. In the month of February alone, Italian exports grew by +1.7% compared to February 2023, in contrast with the EU average which recorded a contraction of 2% – he continued -. The export performance of the main European countries was negative, with the Germany which drops by -1.1%, i Villages Bass of -7.8% and the Spain which drops by -4%, the exceptions being France which in February 2024 saw exports grow by 1.2%, however less than the growth of those of Italy”.
“Italy’s sales performance in non-EU countries was good with growth in February (compared to January 2024) of 7.5%, thanks in particular to capital goods, to which the high-impact sales of means of transport contribute. maritime navigation towards States United. Exports to the EU area are stable with a modest +0.3%”, concluded the president of ICE Agenzia.