Foreign trade

Istat presents data on Italy’s foreign trade as well as unit value and volume indices (base year 2005=100) referring to March 2012. The results of the flash estimates on extra-EU trade for March 2012 have been disseminated on April 23^rd.

• Compared to the previous month, export in March increased by 1,7% reflecting a growth of 4.1% of sales to markets outside the EU. Imports decreased by 1,9%, with a reduction of purchases by both EU markets (-2.2%) and non-EU (-1.6%). In the first quarter of 2012, exports registered an economic growth of 0.8% due to an increase in sales to countries outside the EU (+2.4%). For purchases of goods there is a fall of 1, 6% greater for the EU markets (-3.7%).

• In March 2012, compared with the same month of the previous year, export growth was 4.9% and affects non-EU markets (+12.4%). The decrease of 10.9% of imports was due to reduced purchases by both the EU countries (-11.4%) and non EU countries (-10.3%).In March, the trade balance is in surplus and amounted to 2.1 billion euros (value is the highest since July 2009): 1.6 billion for the EU countries and 0.5 for non-EU countries. Net of energy products, the balance was 7.6 billion euros .

Note. Due to a misprint in the second bullet point, the full text in downolad has been replaced at 2 p.m.