Assodistil, consumption falls and exports rise: 'concern about tariffs'
Assembly in Rome. Exports tripled in 10 years, domestic sales to -8.5% in 2024: grappa in the lead, gin bucking the trend
3' min read
3' min read
The consumption of alcoholic beverages in Italy is falling while exports are growing, which have tripled in ten years, reaching today a turnover of 1.8 billion Euro. With this in mind, great concern was expressed by companies in the distillation world about the international scenario and, in particular, the possibility of tariffs being introduced on a key market such as the US.
This was revealed today, 20 June, in Rome at theassembly of Assodistil, the association of Italian distillation companies.
"'2024,' explained Assodistil, 'has been a complex year for companies in the distilling sector. The drop in consumption on the domestic market, global uncertainty due to international scenarios and the possible introduction of new tariffs on imports have put the sector under great strain. Despite this, thanks to a growing vocation of the sector and the promotion activity of Spirits towards international markets, we are witnessing a sustained growth of Italian exports of these beverages: in the space of a decade, exports in value have tripled from 0.6 billion euros in 2014, to 1.8 billion in 2024, with growth continuing in Q1 2025 (+3.1% compared to 2024)."
During the assembly, aNomisma study on the spirits sector was also presented, from which it emerged that 'although Europe is the main reference market for Italian Spirits exports (59% of the total), followed by the USA (15%), there is a progressive geographical diversification of markets of interest'.
However, the liveliness on international markets is counterbalanced by the drop in consumption in Italy, which affects all spirits except Gin. "New consumer trends," continues the Nomisma study, "attracted by new products with low or no alcohol content, are leading to a progressive contraction in consumption of traditional spirits and liqueurs, which nevertheless maintain a prominent position in the national market. In 2024, the consumption of Spirits in Italy amounted to 127 million litres with a variation between 2024 and 2019 of -8.5%. An analysis of the volumes sold shows that Spirits are at the top of the list with about 50.5 million litres sold, with the 'out of home' channel accounting for about 56% of consumption.
