The Italian trade balance showed a surplus of 958 million in August, against the deficit of 483 million recorded in the same month last year. Net of energy, the balance is positive for 5,4 billion. This was announced by Istat, explaining however that the data are the result of a significant decline in both exports (-4,4%) and imports (-9,8%) on an annual basis.
The contraction in trade is more marked for the non-EU area (export - 5,4%, import -15,5%). A negative trend in average unit values for imports is confirmed (-3,7%). The volumes traded are down both for imports (-6,3%) and for exports (-4,2%).
Compared to July, on the other hand, in August there was an increase in both exports (+1,7%) and imports (+1,1%). The economic growth of both flows is driven by trade with EU countries: +2,9% for exports and +2,4% for imports.
The cyclical increase in sales abroad is particularly strong for durable consumer goods (+8,4%); on the import front, the purchases of capital goods are booming (+13,8%).
Compared to the previous quarter, in the period June-August 2013 both imports (+1,3%) and exports (+0,7%) grew. In the first eight months of the year the trade surplus reached 19,2 billion and, net of energy products, 56 billion.
