Lombardy has caught up with the strong expansion of world trade: this is revealed by the data published by the Assolombarda study centre, in the usual monthly Booklet. Exports grew by +7,3% in the first nine months of 2017, a performance that is among the most brilliant ever, in national and European comparison (for comparison: +0,3% in the same period of 2016). The increase in exports is uniform both in EU and non-EU countries (+7,3% both), it is positive in all manufacturing sectors and among the provinces the greatest contribution comes from the area of Milan, Lodi, Monza and Brianza (+9,1%).
Comparing with other Italian regions, in the same period Veneto scored +5,1%, Emilia-Romagna +5,8% and only Piedmont did better with +8,9%, due to the rebound effect after the negative sign of 2016. At the European level, among the other large productive areas of the continent only Catalonia has done better with +8,4%, while both Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria and Auvergne Rhone Alpes are around a growth of 5% or less.
Le indications taken over by Assolombarda on confidence of manufacturing companies and the innovative tertiary sector of the Lombard territory are in the sign of the continuation of this brilliant phase towards the end of 2017 especially in this first beginning of 2018, in which expectations on both demand and production once again improve). In particular, in Milan, Lodi, Monza and Brianza, manufacturing confidence rises to all-time highs in December, while at country level, the index was stable in Italy in January and slightly down in France and Spain.
Good news also from manufacturing production, which returns to growth in Lombardy between July and September 2017 (+0,4%) with an overall +3,2% in the first nine months of 2017, two and a half times the rate of a year ago (+1,3% ), in line with Cataluña (+3,1% in the January-September period) and Baden Württemberg (+3,4%), more than Italy (+2,7%).
Il credit market instead it continues to highlight strong heterogeneity by sector: the -2,1% in the total economy in the second quarter of 2017 is the synthesis of a still strong contraction in construction (-10,9%), a slight decrease in services (-0,9 %) and a new increase in industry (+0,5%). The share of gross non-performing loans in relation to total loans fell to 13,7% in June 2017 (from 14,5% in March). The decline in bankruptcies continues (-13,4%), but voluntary liquidations are still on the rise (+3,3%).
Finally, the study also analyzes work and accidents. In the third quarter of 2017 in all economic sectors, accidents at work in Lombardy fell by -3,1% per employee net of the CIG and -1,5% in total number. Tightening the analysis to the Lombard industrial sector, in the third quarter workplace accidents increased by +3,7% per employee net of the CIG and by +2,1% in total.
