La Edison Foundation published the results of a study on the export monitoring of the main Italian districts in the second quarter of 2012, increased by 0,3% compared to the same period last year.
Overall, in the first half of 2012, Italian district exports increased by 1,1%, reaching 34,7 billion euro. The most important sectoral increases in exports are those produced by hi-tech districts e food-wine respectively grew by 11,8% (against +20,4% in the first quarter) and 4,7% (against +10,2%). In turn theHome furnishing recorded an increase in exports of 2,8% (against +3,2% in the first quarter), while theclothing-fashion reversed the trend, returning to growth, albeit modestly (+0,6% compared to -0,6% in the first three months of 2012). The complex automation-mechanics-rubber-plastic fell by 5,1% (-2,9% in the first quarter), where the strongly negative performances in the industrial machinery sectors of Treviso (-57,9%), Brescia (-20,1%) and Bologna (- 14,5%), as well as metal products from Lecco (-12,4%) and agricultural machinery from Bergamo (-12,2%). Among the positive notes, the goldsmith center of Arezzo (+33,7%), where, however, the figure is influenced by the increase in gold exports due to a drop in local production, thus favoring the sale of raw material abroad.
From a geographical point of view, i districts of Central Italy they are the ones that increased their exports by 2012% in the second quarter of 7, mainly thanks to home furnishings (+13,1%) and clothing-fashion (+9,4%). Followed by the districts of the South and Islands with an increase of 4,8%, thanks to technological district of the Etna Valley (+26,6%) and that of tomato derivatives in the Salerno area (+9,9%). If the North-West offers a growth of 1%, the North-East (-3,5%) is the one where the decline of the two main sectors is more massive: automation-mechanics-rubber-plastic -8,5%. apparel-fashion -6,8%: in both the positive trend of the hi-tech sector (respectively, +18% and +14,8%) was not sufficient to offset the sharp declines.
In the second quarter of 2012, most of the district's exports were directed towards i EU countries, despite a cyclical downturn of 2,1%, while sales to non-EU countries grew by 3%. Positive performances come from hi-tech sectors of the South and Islands (+21,1%) and of the North-West (+14,7%). On the other hand, those in the North-East are down (-4,6%) due to the collapse of the export of biomedical devices di Mirandola (-42,1%), due to the earthquake last May. In general, the growth of exports of the home furnishings sector (+7,6% in the North-West, +14,8% in the North-East, +24,1% in the Centre), with the sole exception of the districts of the South and Islands (-10,7%), which are affected of the poor performance of the upholstered furniture district of the Murge area of Bari.
