Italian Trade Surplus Narrows in October

Italy recorded a €4.18 billion trade surplus in October of 2015, down from a €5.4 billion surplus a year earlier, as exports decreased while imports were stable.
Istat | Yekaterina Guchshina | yekaterina@tradingeconomics.com
12/17/2015 10:29:18 AM
Year-on-year, exports went down by 1.4 percent to €36.874 billion from €37.3 billion, as exports of energy products and intermediate goods shrank by 18.2 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively. By contrast, consumer goods shipments grew 0.1 percent and sales of capital goods increased by 0.1 percent.
 
The biggest decreases in shipments were reported for Russia (-20.6 percent), Central and South America (-19.4 percent), MERCOSUR (-33.9 percent). Sales to Belgium (+9.1 percent), India (+13.9 percent) increased.
 
Imports were unchanged at €32 billion. Purchases of capital goods (+9.3 percent), consumer goods (+3.8 percent) and intermediate goods (+1.1 percent) increased. By contrast, purchases of energy products fell 24.4 percent.
 
The strong growth in imports was reported from Poland (+11 percent), Czech Republic (+18.2 percent), Turkey (+29.1 percent) and Japan (+13.1 percent). Meanwhile, purchases from India (-43.3 percent), OPEC countries (-23.5 percent), North Africa (-23.8 percent), UK (-11.9 percent) and Russia (-11.1 percent) fell the most.
 
On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, exports fell by 0.4 percent while imports were stable.
 
In the first ten months of 2015, Italy posted a €34.76 billion surplus. Shipments went up by 3.5 percent while purchases grew 3.3 percent.

Italian Trade Surplus Narrows in October



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