MILAN, Italy – Italian agro-food exports continue to boom. With a record 2016, the first few months of the year are forecast to be better still: according to ISMEA data, Italian agro-food is expected to see growth of +7.9% in the first quarter of 2017, compared to the same period in 2016, approaching the 10 billion euro threshold.
The trade balance subsequently sees an improvement in the structural deficit, reduced by 79 million euros, owing more specifically to the performance of the food industry with a positive balance equating to 286 million euros (+99 million when compared to the first quarter of 2016), thereby compensating for the agricultural deficit.
As regards the main market outlets, the EU proves to be the most important, with a +6.6% increase on a year-on-year basis, despite the fact that exports to third countries (+11%) are growing at a faster rate.
Exports to Russia (+44.6%), Japan (+38.3%) and China (+16.7%) are doing very well indeed.
Yet, the United States has proven to be an especially important market: according to ISMEA, after Germany (17.5%) and France (10.9%), the US is one of the main destinations for Italian products, representing 10% of total exports.
In 2016, the surplus for Italy totalled 2.9 billion euros, equating to an increase of 350 million compared to the previous year.
We therefore import less from the United States than we export, as was confirmed by the first two months of 2017: at the start of the year, the trade balance with the USA saw an increase in the 24 million euro surplus, owing to an increase in exports (+4.2%) and more stable imports (-0.3%).
This however is a market that has its challenges, with specific regulatory characteristics and techniques to be addressed with particular and professional instruments.
With this in mind, TUTTOFOOD – the international B2B show dedicated to food & beverage and organised by Fiera Milano – with a view to constantly supporting the operators, has, in collaboration with Euranet Academy Channel, developed a series of 6 webinars that provide ad hoc training services in an innovative and immediate manner, intended to delve into the opportunities that the US market can offer Italian agro-food companies as well as the related risks.
The webinars will embrace all aspects linked to the export business, from financial and more technical elements to area-specific analyses.
The first ‘episode’ is dedicated to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the new American law on food safety, while the second will discuss the Global Food Safety Initiative for the certification of food safety and Food Defence as protection of company assets to maintain operational continuity.
Financial topics will be the theme of the seminar on The Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena Foreign Network in support of Italian exports, while a tutorial will be dedicated to the business opportunities offered by the state of New Jersey.
The videos are accessible via YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH-IcA1QU5NgqjqrOdEotYA/videos. For further information, consult the website www.euranet.com.
