Le small and medium-sized businesses Italians are trying to focus on what could happen to them this year due to the Gulf Crisis. Based on one survey by Promos Italia, agency for internationalisation, out of around 200 small and medium-sized businesses across the country, 66,9% believe that the "blockade" will have impact immediate, 24,8% not in the short term, while the remaining 8,3% maintain that there will be no consequences.
In particular, 33,6% fear market disorders and disruptions and delays in production chains; 26,1% a reduction in imports and exports and 22,4% another inflationary phase. In any case, the effects on the turnover of 2024 also seem certain, 82% of businesses who participated in the survey predicts an impact of less than 25% of the annual turnover.
Da Pozzo: “Our business system cannot afford another setback”
“From our survey, companies' concern about this new international emergency clearly emerges – he explains John DaPozzo, president of Promos Italia - together with the awareness that the situation will have certain repercussions on the turnover of 2024. Our business system cannot afford another setback, it is necessary to remedy this crisis as soon as possible by bringing the flows in the Suez Canal back to a normal regime of normality".
Trade with the Middle East in September 2023 is worth 22 billion
The exchanges between Italy and Asia in the first nine months of 2023 they are worth 154 billion of which 92 billion are imports and 62 billion exports. The trade between them is worth 39 billion Italy and the Middle East in the first nine months of 2023, of which 22 billion are imports and 17 billion exports.
La Lombardia – according to an elaboration by Promos Italia on ISTAT data for the first nine months of 2022 and 2023 – is the main region in trading with l'Asia, where trade amounts to 46 billion euros, with 19 billion in exports. Veneto follows with 17 billion and Emilia Romagna with 16 billion. But Lombardy is also first in trade with Middle East with 7 billion in trade, of which approximately 5 billion in exports, followed by Sicily with 6 billion and Veneto with 5 billion.
Among the provinces, first Milan with 11 billion of imports from Asia and 9 billion of exports, and with almost half a billion of imports from the Middle East and 2 billion of exports. Syracuse follows with 5 billion of imports from Asia and 4 billion from the Middle East. Then comes Rome with 4 billion in imports from Asia and 2 billion in exports and 1,4 billion in imports from the Middle East and half a billion in exports. Then follow Naples, Turin, Vicenza, Bologna. Florence, Bergamo.
Among the sectors, with Asia, in the first nine months of 2023, prevails the import di Petroleum, with 19 billion; Of metals with 11 billion in nine months; Of textiles with 10 billion, of computers and electronics with 8,5 billion. For export machinery came first with 12 billion and fashion with 11 billion. Among the sectors, with the Middle East, in the first nine months of 2023, oil imports prevail, with 16 billion, petroleum products with 3 billion in nine months. In exports, the leading sector is that of machinery with 4 billion and means of transport with 2 billion.
