Italian food & beverage exports in the first half of 2020 at 22 billion euros

The agri-food industry holds. On the contrary, it raises. Above all thanks to exports, which are growing at double-digit rates in some markets. An elaboration on Istat Coeweb data on TuttoFood's agriculture and food products sectors - which returns to Milan from 17 to 20 May 2021 - shows that in the first half of 2020 Italian food & beverage exports amounted to over 22 billion euros, up 3.5% on the same period in 2019. In the lead, with a value of 13.7 billion and an increase of +5.4% in a year, exports of food products are positioned, followed by those of agriculture with 3 billion and a growth of +1.8%.
Which Italian food products are the most requested abroad? On the top step of the podium rise bakery products, with 2.3 billion euros in value and double-digit growth (+15.6%). Followed by processed and preserved fruit and vegetables, which export for 1.9 billion, recording an increase of +6%, and dairy products with 1.8 billion, +0.8%. For the major destination markets, Japan (+16.9%), China (+13.7%) and Oceania (+8%) are the fastest growing markets. Historical markets such as Germany (+6.7%), Switzerland (+5.7%), the United States and France (both +4.2%) are also doing well. Another interesting data, exports are directed in a fairly balanced percentage to Europe and non-European markets, a sign that in recent years the companies made in Italy have focused on the development of emerging markets. In particular, in the first half of this year, exports to the EU-27 (without the UK) reached almost 12.5 billion euros, while exports to the rest of the world accounted for more than 9.6 billion.
Among the Italian territories that have contributed the most to exports, Emilia-Romagna is in the lead, with over 4 billion, while Veneto and Lombardy, which have exported, respectively, for 3.43 and 3.42 billion. Piedmont follows with a few lengths with about 3 billion. Campania with almost 2 billion euro, Tuscany (1.26) and Trentino-Alto Adige (1.16) are also positioned above the billion value. That the emergency has made everyone rediscover a little bit the pleasure of food and cooking is also confirmed by the data of companies in the household sector that have entered the register of companies: between born and transformed, from January to today there are already 3,750.