Made in Italy: new routes are driving businesses abroad
The association’s conference is taking place in Genoa, with attendance figures on the rise. President Pozza: it is necessary to diversify markets and understand their rules
Key points
Tariffs, trade wars, and high energy and raw material costs are undermining the competitiveness of Italian industry. Yet exports of Italian-made goods continue to grow and, in 2025, with growth of 3.3%, reached a value of €640 billion. Even in the early months of 2026, although driven mainly by certain sectors, the growth trend continued, and Sace estimates that the figure will reach €660 billion by the end of the year.
Target: 700 billion in exports
“The target of 700 billion by 2027 that Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is working towards is within reach. And we are here to play our part, all the more so during a complex and highly uncertain period such as the one we are currently experiencing,” says Mario Pozza, president of Assocamerestero, the association representing 86 Italian Chambers of Commerce abroad, in 64 countries across all continents, with 160 service points, which is holding its annual convention in Genoa from today until Monday.
“The situation is extremely challenging, yet global demand for Italian-made goods continues to grow, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of our entrepreneurs, who keep venturing abroad, constantly seeking new markets without, however, neglecting those where they already have a presence,” notes Pozza. Just consider the figures for the United States: despite the introduction of tariffs imposed by President Trump, in 2025 this market accounted for 10.8% of Italian exports, and Italia was the only one among the major European countries to record an increase in exports to the US (+7.2%, Istat data), compared with a decline in Germany, France and Spain.
The Assocamerestero network is expanding
The growing figures from Assocamerestero themselves demonstrate the strength of this international focus: in 2025, the Chambers generated around 300,000 business contacts and assisted 67,000 companies (+12% compared to 2024), with a network of 19,500 members, most of whom are local businesses that recognise Italia as a partner for their business and investment operations.
Furthermore, the value of initiatives implemented to support Italian businesses abroad reached €36.7 million, an increase of 2% compared with 2024. 61.4% relates to business matching and networking activities, 17.4% to initial guidance on foreign markets, 12.9% to specialist assistance and consultancy, and 8.3% to direct training for businesses and technical language training. The main sectors covered were agri-food, hospitality and tourism, the green economy and circular economy, business education and training, textiles and fashion, mechanical engineering, construction, furniture and furnishings, transport, trade and healthcare.
