Data in October

Mercosur, 12 billion trade with Italia in 2025

Industry and chemicals among the top export items in Italy, but the agreement with the EU opens up opportunities for Italian products and services

by Margherita Ceci

30 January 2026

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

Numbers
Agriculture
Serve structure

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Mechanical and electronic machinery, automotive and components, pharmaceuticals and technological instrumentation: these are the top export items, by economic value, of Italia to the Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay). There is no shortage of demand for Italian skills and companies have long been exporting to what is the sixth largest economy in the world, with a total population of around 270 million people.

The numbers

The partnership agreement between the European Union and Latin America is currently on stand-by, after the European Parliament asked the EU Court of Justice for an opinion. The fears behind the attempt to postpone the trade agreement as long as possible are mostly of a competitive nature: there are fears of the massive arrival of products, especially agri-food products, at too low prices and of lower quality.

Yet, even leaving aside the mechanisms that the agreement sets up to avoid this phenomenon, the numbers speak for themselves: we already import extensively from Mercosur. ISTAT figures from January to October 2025 (the latest available in disaggregated form, which allow us to disregard Bolivia, excluded from the negotiating agreements due to late ratification) speak of 5.8 billion euros for 9 million tonnes of goods entering. Starting with paper, passing through coffee, residues of the food industries (mostly for animal feed), seeds from which to extract oils. And still oil, meat, machinery.

GLI SCAMBI TRA ITALIA E PAESI DEL MERCOSUR

Le prime dieci voci di import-export italiano nel 2025 (gen-ott) per valore economico e i Paesi di origine/destinazione

Including exports, the total value of trade with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay reaches EUR 12.1 billion, for 9.8 million tonnes of goods. Numbers that today suffer from tariff and regulatory barriers that have never been overcome, but which could grow rapidly.

'Brazil lacks agricultural equipment, even traditional equipment,' explains the president of the Italian-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Luciano Feletto. 'The know-how of our companies is mainly sought after in large-scale works'. In this regard, it is worth mentioning that the agreement goes far beyond the elimination of tariffs, introducing the possibility for European companies to participate in tenders in Mercosur under the same conditions as local companies. "Italian expertise can derive great opportunities. Also with regard to the export of green systems, since Brazil finances its companies that invest in them'.

The agri-food sector

Then there is an all-Italian sector that, by virtue of its historical and cultural ties with Latin America, would have not a few advantages from the entry into force of the agreement: that of the agro-food, which currently appears among the exported goods starting from the fourteenth item. Yet there is no shortage of demand for our products on the shelves of South American supermarkets, especially in Brazil and Argentina (just think that 80% of applications for Italian citizenship iure sanguinis come from here).

'There are products, such as mortadella, that are sought after but cannot be found,' Feletto continues. 'Of course, we should increase the number of officials in the consulates, because inspections must be carried out on site, otherwise protection remains on paper'. In this regard, the partnership agreement also protects registered trademarks and on-site inspections. Not only that: it also prohibits the marketing of reproductions of products with protected geographical indication (PGI), which in the case of Italia constitutes a real phenomenon (so-called 'Italian sounding', i.e. products sold through words, images and colours that evoke the false Italian origin).

Serve structure

But cutting costs and bureaucracy is not enough: you need structure. 'In order to do organised internationalisation, you have to equip yourself,' continues Feletto. 'It is not enough to think of selling with fewer tariffs, especially in sectors such as mechanics and fuels. Companies must be ready, also because the decrease will not happen overnight'. And if in Brazil many companies are putting off projects while waiting for the agreement to be ratified, in Argentina producers are already asking to export.

'We have many requests, but there are problems with permits,' explains Enrico Turoni, president of the Italian-Argentine Chamber of Commerce. 'Not only that, if we consider that Argentina exports mainly agri-foodstuffs, and that in order to do so it must comply with quality standards that require more advanced technologies, Italia could have a good chance of exporting its know-how'. Also because the quality barriers are twofold: 'The minimum level required by the European Union is not enough; Italia, for example, demands additional certifications'.