The Prime Ministerial Decree no. 40 of 4 March 2024, published in the Official Journal no. 77 of 2 February 2024, provides that the fiscal, financial and administrative benefits for Simplified logistics zones (Zls) of the Center and North will last seven years and will be renewable for another seven. They will also be financed by the Pnrr.
What are Simplified Logistics Zones (ZLS)
The Zls are made up of port and airport areas, logistics platforms and interports, but residential areas cannot be part of them. However, they can be established within the ZLS Customs free zones closed, or areas delimited and forming part of the EU customs territory. The new regulation aims to create favorable conditions in economic, financial and administrative terms to allow this business development already operating and the establishment of new economic players. For this purpose, tax breaks and bureaucratic simplifications are provided and the establishment of industrial, productive and logistical initiatives not subject to certified reporting of the start of activity.
The ZLS can be established in regions of the Center and North and a maximum of one for each region, if at least one port area is present in these territories. Non-contiguous areas are also taken into consideration, although they are connected by infrastructure, interports and associated logistics areas. And airports will also be included. A region in which there is no port area will be able to ask to be associated with an already established ZLS and benefit from the benefits.
The photography of logistics systems
In this regard, the Survey created by Contship Italia in collaboration with Srm on the perception of the efficiency of logistics corridors by manufacturing companies in Lombardy, Emilia and Veneto. The report offers a photography of logistics systems used by companies for export, with the ambition of providing data and food for thought useful for guiding choices, investments and development strategies.
The survey involved 400 manufacturing companies that export and/or import by sea with containers. The three regions involved represent approximately 41% of the GDP and 51% of Italian foreign trade and an important portion of their trade takes place by sea (28% for Lombardia, 33% for the Veneto and 37% forEmilia Romagna).
In 2023, 75% of companies have opted for the delivery ex works or ex works, a higher figure than the 55% in 2022 and the average 64% for the period 2019-2023. The clause states that the ordered goods are supplied to the buyer by the seller at a defined location, while the costs and risks are transferred to the buyer when the goods are taken over. The deep-rooted culture of ex-works in companies is confirmed by the fact that 61% do not intend to evaluate alternative contractual methods in sales abroad. 23% would do so if there was a clear saving in shipping costs.
At the same time, businesses ask more investments in infrastructure. 20% of the sample uses a road-rail mix to transport goods on the port-company route and vice versa, higher than the 13% recorded on average in the previous four editions of the study.
Among the factors that would push companies towards greater use of intermodal are "competitive costs compared to the road” (valid for 31%) and “certainty in delivery times” (28%). Intermodality is a competitive factor for businesses. It is no coincidence that 55% maintain that further investments in intermodality could significantly increase the competitiveness of the Italian industry (with peaks of 70% in Lombardy and 87% in Emilia Romagna).
The number of businesses they prefer to have managed outsourced logistics in export operations it increased, going from 77% to 95%. The same is true in import operations, with 94% of companies outsourcing logistics (82% in 2022). 61% of companies mainly use freight forwarders (from 58%), 15% shipping companies (from 20%), 12% road hauliers (from 10%), 10% turn to multimodal transport (from 8 %).
Export by sea: USA and Asia are the trade destinations, Genoa is the most used port
Genoa is the most used port for trade (among the first two preferences for 61% of companies in exports and 71 in imports). As regards the destination of exports by sea, 37% of companies export to Europe, in particular to the United Kingdom (13%), Spain (9%) and Greece (8%); 34% in North America (mainly in the USA); 34% in Asia: Turkey (9%), India (7%), China (5%). 11% choose Africa: Morocco (6%), Egypt (4%), Tunisia (2%).
Asia is among the main seaborne supply markets for 61% of companies (66% in 2022), with China (26%) and India (25%) leading the way. In second place is Africa (24%), with Egypt (7%), Morocco (7%) and Tunisia (6%) among the main suppliers. European markets are indicated by 14% of companies, with Spain (6%) and the United Kingdom (4%) in the lead. North America is a source of supply for 11% of those interviewed.
