Export, Tajani: Made in Italy quality overcomes crisis and tariffs
Foreign Minister: "it is not easy but the target of 700 billion remains"
by Andrea Carli
Key points
The quality of Made in Italy allows exports to keep running, despite the clouds hovering over international trade, amid tariffs and wars that put freedom of navigation at risk. This is the key to understanding that Antonio Tajani, deputy prime minister and foreign minister, provided during his intervention, in video link-up, at the Trento Festival of Economics on Friday 23 May.
Interviewed by Sole 24 Ore columnist Adriana Cerretelli, he outlined the government's strategy. 'We are doing a lot to support companies,' he said, highlighting the good export results despite the tariffs war. Not only the figures for 2025, 'but also the figures for the first quarter of this year tell us that we have increased by more than 7%,' she added. 'The climate for our exports is very positive and this is also a sign that the action plan put in place by the government is helping companies to strengthen their presence in international markets. There is an overall government strategy that has involved all companies'.
Tajani: 'It's not easy but the 700 billion export target remains'
Still referring to exports, the Forza Italia leader clarified that 'the goal is to reach 700 billion by the end of 2027. It will not be easy,' he added, 'but it is a goal that we want to continue to have as a point of reference, because it can be done'.
"Israel realises there is a limit"
Among the topics addressed was the lately not easy relationship between Italia and Israel. After the request to impose EU sanctions against Israeli National Security Minister Ben-Gvir, the head of the Farnesina returned to talk about Israel: "we try to give signals to Israel too so that it realises that there is a limit beyond which one cannot go. We are friends of Israel, we have never denied it, but being friends also means being sincere,' he said.
'We must ensure that in Gaza we can proceed with the second phase after the truce: reconstruction, the resumption of normal life, the arrival of humanitarian aid,' he added. And in Lebanon "we believe that Italia can play an important role there too, especially in strengthening the legitimate institutions. It is another very delicate front together with the Syrian one,' the deputy prime minister recalled. "We also try to give signals to Israel so that it realises that there is a limit beyond which one cannot go. We are friends of Israel, we have never denied it, but being friends also means being sincere. Yesterday,' he recalled, 'there was a document signed by the four big European countries: Italia, Germany, France and Great Britain, then other countries joined in, to say enough is enough to the actions of the settlers, occupying the territories of the Palestinian National Authority also compromises the peace strategy to have two peoples, two states. We were very tough, after what happened with the flotilla activists, with Minister Ben-Gvir. And it seems to me that even today the French Foreign Minister supported the Italian position, that is to sanction as soon as possible the Minister of National Security who was responsible for the unworthy acts we witnessed watching television the other day'. In short, Italia wants to have 'an active role of dialogue, of constant presence, both at European and bilateral level. And I insist a lot on the issue of Lebanon, because I believe we could play an important role there'.
