Eastern Veneto: exports are growing both within and outside the EU

Among the goods sold abroad between January and June 2026, growth was seen across almost all sectors, with the exception of machinery and equipment (3,930 million, -0.6 per cent) and timber and timber products (493 million, -2.0 per cent). The sectors contributing most to the increase were base metals and metal products (2,001 million, +6.4 per cent), food and beverages (1,918 million, +3.0 per cent), electrical equipment (1,707 million, +0.6 per cent), rubber and plastics (1,434 million, +4.2 per cent), and transport equipment, excluding the one-off figure for shipbuilding in the first quarter (649 million, +5.0 per cent). Textiles, clothing, leather and accessories remained stable (2,172 million, +0.1%).

Turning to the main export markets for eastern Veneto, the trends in the first six months were quite varied. Within the European Union, which still accounts for over half of overseas sales (58.8 per cent), the modest recovery in Germany (+0.9 per cent) and France (+0.5 per cent) and the strong performance in Spain (+7.0 per cent), Austria (+17.1%), the Netherlands (+8.9%), Belgium (+11.7%) and the Czech Republic (+13.0%).

Outside Europe, growth in the United States stands out (+6.0 per cent in the second quarter), despite tariffs and the appreciation of the euro, though it is concentrated in a few sectors (shipbuilding, machinery, fashion), whilst others are suffering from the new tariff environment; over the half-year, growth was recorded in the United Kingdom (+3.0%) and Canada (+11.6%), whilst the Chinese market (-14.8%), the Indian market (-2.0) and the Gulf region (-34.5%) all saw declines due to the war. Conversely, China’s importance as a supplier is growing: the value of imports jumped by +62.8 per cent, from 1,661 million in the first six months of 2025 to 2,703 in the same period this year (driven by computers and electronic equipment). Overall, 16 per cent of purchases come from China.

Among the new routes, Mercosur is particularly noteworthy: in the first six months, exports rose by +22.8 per cent compared with the same period in 2025, driven by the free trade agreement (in force since May), exceeding the growth recorded for non-EU markets as a whole (+16.1 per cent).

Silvia Moretto, consigliera delegata agli Affari Internazionali di Confindustria Veneto Est

“The new geography of the global economy requires us to move beyond simply promoting exports to developing genuine strategies for an international presence,” adds Silvia Moretto, Executive Director for International Affairs at Confindustria Veneto Est, who has recently returned from Confindustria’s mission to Mercosur. “We must strengthen our presence where demand is growing and support businesses – particularly smaller ones – in opening up new trade routes. Mercosur, India and the Gulf states are concrete examples. The mission that has just concluded in Argentina and Brazil has confirmed the extraordinary strategic importance of these markets and the concrete opportunities for our businesses opened up by the EU-Mercosur Agreement, not only in terms of sales but also in terms of industrial partnerships, access to public procurement and sourcing. As Confindustria Veneto Est, we are focused on supporting businesses in turning these opportunities into tangible results. This will also be the aim of our upcoming initiatives, such as the visit to Veneto by a Saudi business delegation and our participation in the BIG 5 Dubai in November.”