ICE: TURNOVER IN 2016 FOR ITALIAN AGRI FOOD IN THE US WAS 4.558 BILLION DOLLARS (+ 4% ON 2015), AND 3.3% MARKET SHARE. WINE WAS NUMBER ONE (1.796 BILLION DOLLARS), THEN OLIVE OIL (558.4 MILLION) AND CHEESE (307.7 MILLION)

2016 was a record year for Italian agro-food with exports touching 38.4 billion US dollars, a 4% increase on 2015, thanks to the performance of the number one market outside of Europe: the United States. According to data from the US Department of Commerce elaborated by ICE – Italian Trade Commission in New York (www.ice.gov.it), turnover for the sector was 4.558 billion dollars (+ 4% on 2015), for a total market share of 3.3% (the total agro food imports amounted to 137.164 billion US dollars), which makes Italy the sixth US trading partner after Canada, Mexico, China, France and Chile. Wine, as usual, took the lion’s share at 1.796 billion dollars in turnover, which alone accounts for 39.4% of all wine & food exported to the US as well as 32.4% of all wine imports to Washington in value and 29% in volume (323.8 million liters shipped in 2016).
This is an absolute record challenged only by France in terms of value (1.618 billion dollars), while in volume Chile is quite distant (155.6 million liters). The second best performing market category is another great product of the earth: olive oil. Here, too, Italy is tops at 558.4 million dollars in revenue (+ 6.6% on 2015) and a market share of 42.2%.
Cheeses also climbed up a step, particularly thanks to the performances of Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano, for shipments in 2016 reaching 307.7 million dollars (+ 0.9% on 2015), equal to a market share of 24.4%. Regarding processed products, pasta continues to be top in its category, with a turnover of 287.9 million dollars (+ 0.7%) and a market share of 33.7%. Another excellent product is mineral water. It was number one in 2016 bringing 149.1 million dollars (down slightly by1%) to the coffers of the Italian agricultural sector, but in terms of absolute values Vermouth and spirits were higher at 197.8 million dollars (+3.2%).
This means that 2.5% of total imports in the category, and in sauces and food preparations, reached 174.4 million dollars (0.1% less), equal to a market share of 5.4%.
Then there are baked goods (147.6 million dollars and 3.3% market share), vegetable preserves (146.5 million dollars for 2% of total imports), coffee (100.4 million dollars, 1.8% of the market), fresh fruit and vegetables (93.7 million dollars, 0.4% of total imports), products based on cocoa (45.3 million dollars, 0.9% of the market), processed meats (39.7 million dollars, 4.8% of total imports), beer (15.9 million dollars, 0.3% of the market), rice (16 million dollars, 2.4% of imports), sugar based products not containing cocoa (16.6 million dollars, 0.9% of the market) and ice cream (4.9 million dollars, 7.8% of imports).