A new export geopolitics to defend our companies
Italian Chambers of Commerce Abroad are active today in 63 countries and represent a strategic infrastructure to be further enhanced
by Mario Pozza
3' min read
3' min read
The new tariff measures announced by the United States - duties of up to 25%, for now on automotive - rekindle a strategic node for the Italian economy: how to protect and reposition our exports in a global context that is rapidly restructuring, also on geopolitical grounds.
The issue concerns above all the heart of our manufacturing: small and medium-sized enterprises, which do not and cannot, for various reasons, have production sites abroad, but which sell directly or indirectly on international markets. It is a production fabric that is often exposed, sometimes lacking the tools to read the changes taking place in real time. And it is precisely from this fabric that a clear request comes today: we need orientation. A compass is needed to face the new global trade dynamics with lucidity.
Italy has a historic relationship with the United States: we are talking about a market that accounts for approximately EUR 70 billion of our exports, with key sectors such as machinery (19.8%), pharmaceuticals (15.5%), means of transport (12.3%), food (12%) and fashion (8.6%). But the possible extension of duties to high value-added sectors requires us to rethink our strategies.
A first answer is diversification. In China, for example, Italian exports are concentrated on very similar sectors (clothing, machinery, pharmaceuticals), confirming that there are alternatives capable of absorbing part of the potential losses in the USA. Demand for quality goods in Asian markets is growing steadily, as is China's interest in strengthening relations with Europe. Not surprisingly, a recent survey by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China shows that most Italian companies consider this market a strategic priority, focusing on innovation, digitalisation and sustainability to strengthen their presence.
From east to west, even Canada, thanks to Ceta, is confirmed as a promising partner: Italy exports around 8 billion a year here in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, food, machinery, cosmetics and automotive - again, sectors that overlap with those of the USA. This tells us one thing clearly: we can no longer think only in terms of markets, but in terms of geopolitical areas, regulatory systems, and long-term economic alliances.
