Wine machines, EUR 2.5 billion in exports

There are sectors in Italy that may seem niche at first glance, but in reality are not at all, considering the numbers they develop and the contribution they are able to make to the country's trade balance. Among these is, for example, the sector ofwine-making and bottling machinery. A sector that some might wrongly consider almost an offshoot of wine and in the latter's wake, but which instead boasts a respectable business dimension. Among other things, this sector will experience its highlight over the next few days (12-15 November at Fiera Rho Milano) with the Simei Show, now in its 30th edition.

A sector that registers almost 2.5 billion euro exports and a trade balance in surplus of more than 2.1 billion, and that by 2023 has made the definitive recovery with a return to pre-covid levels.

According to elaborations on Istat data by the Wine Observatory of the Italian Wine Union (UIV), last year's final balance was in fact +18.5% compared to 2022 - which had just missed breaking even with 2019 - and +13.2% compared to the pre-pandemic performance.

This positive trend, confirmed by a further 12.7% trend growth in out-of-country sales in the first 7 months of this year (worth almost EUR 1.6 billion), should, barring unforeseen events, bring the balance by the end of 2024 to at least EUR 2.2 billion.

'This is one of the sectors with the highest export propensity,' explains the secretary general of the Italian Wine Union, Paolo Castelletti, 'another Made in Italy record and an asset for the entire wine and beverage sector, which finds its strength in technology and innovation.