Istat data show a 21.2% drop in Italian exports to the United States
Italian exports under pressure
In August, according to Istat data, Italian exports to the United States fell by 21.2% compared to the same month of 2024. This is one of the sharpest contractions, second only to the -26.1% drop in sales to Turkey.
The decline was not limited to the American market: overall exports to non-EU countries decreased, with the only exceptions being the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
The hardest-hit sectors
The most affected segments were durable goods (-26.3%), non-durable goods (-13.2%), and capital goods (-9.4%). These areas, traditionally strong drivers of Italian exports, show clear signs of weakening foreign demand.
Imports down (but not from the US)
On the import side, the data are mixed: while there was a steep decline from the OPEC countries (-27.1%) and the United Kingdom (-36.6%), imports from the United States (+68.5%) and the ASEAN countries (+13.6%) saw notable growth.
A complex global scenario
The picture highlights the challenges Italian companies face in non-EU markets, amid global uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and currency fluctuations. The coming months will be crucial to determine whether this is a temporary downturn or a structural change in Italy’s export performance.