Italian exports exceed 660 billion in 2023, growing by 6.8% – Corriere.it

In 2023 Italian exports will exceed 660 billion, with a growth of 6.8% compared to the previous year, to continue at a rate of +4.6% in 2024 and an average annual growth of 3.8% in the following two years. Among the main destination markets, the greatest boost is expected from the Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia (+15.6%) and the United Arab Emirates (+10%), followed by China (+17%) and the India (+10.3). But also Thailand (+13.5%), Vietnam (+8.1%), Mexico (+8.4%) and Brazil (+7.2%) present increasingly significant opportunities for Italian companies. The 2023 Export Report by Sace provides an overview of the prospects for exporting companies.

The main sectors

«The companies that invest in sustainability and digitization are also the ones that export the most and best», highlights Alessandra Ricci. «The invitation I want to address to our partners, the approximately 40,000 companies that we support every day, is to invest in this path, always counting on our information, training and insurance-financial tools and on our network of relationships, to strengthen to manage risks, seize opportunities and profit from the changes taking place», adds Ricci. Investments for the transition will boost Italian exports of environmental goods, expected to grow by 9.3% this year and 9.7% in 2024 and by around 14% per year on average in the two-year period 2025-26. The main export sectors of our country are instrumental mechanics, but also electrical appliances (for example electric motors and generators, distribution boards) and other investments (especially measuring and control instruments). The heavy investments for the transition underway, also in the light of the European support policies on the subject, will push the Italian export of environmental goods, expected to grow this year by 9.3% and next year by 9.7%, accelerating then at about 14% per year on average in 2025-26.

Investments and innovation

Approximately 67% of companies that invest in digital technologies export, against 44% of those that do not invest. Furthermore, companies that invest in 4.0 and innovate their business model have a probability of exporting about three times higher than those that invest without changing their model (14.5% vs. 5.2%). «More commonly, it is expected that 47% of companies that invest in 4.0 and that have changed their business model will increase their share of exports in 2023 – explains the Sace report – , while among those that do not invest only 30% will see the value of their exports increase»