Foreign trade

Istat presents data on Italy’s foreign trade as well as unit value and volume indices (base year 2005=100) referring to August 2012. The results of the flash estimates on extra-EU trade for August 2012 were disseminated on September 24^th.

• Compared to the previous month, export in August increased by 3.9% reflecting sales growth for both European (+4,7%) and non-European (+2.9%) markets. The rise in imports (+4.4%) is due to the increase in purchases by European countries (+3.9%) and non-European countries (+4.9%). In the quarter (June-August 2012), exports growth (+1.5%) is mainly due to an increase in sales to EU (+1.6%). The decline in import (-0.3%) is the result of a fall of purchases of goods from non-EU (-1.3%) and an increase of purchases of goods from EU (+0.6%).

• In August 2012, compared with the same month of the previous year, export increased by 8.4% and affects non-EU markets (14.0%). The decrease of imports (-1.1%) was due to reduced purchases by EU countries (-3.0%). In August, trade balance amounted to -598 million euros: +374 million for EU countries and -972 for non-EU countries. Net of energy products, the balance was 5.2 billion euros.