L'Istat estimate in September 2022 for ltrade with non-EU countries a cyclical increase for both flows, much larger for exports (+5,9%) than for imports (+0,3%). The month-on-month increase in export it concerns all the main groupings of industries, with the exception of energy (-1,5%). As regards the cheap imports, the slight cyclical growth summarizes two differentiated dynamics, increasing for energy (+4,9%) and capital goods (+1,1%), decreasing for the remaining groupings. In the third quarter, compared to the previous one, theextra-EU exports grew by 3,4%. Excluding energy (-8,2%), the increase concerns all groupings, more sustained for capital goods (+6,3%). In the same period, purchases marked an economic increase of 11,7%, to which energy made a significant contribution (+23,0%).
Non-EU countries: energy deficit soars and exceeds 12 billion
The trade deficit with i non-EU countries is equal to -5.440 million, compared to a surplus of 1.063 million in the same month of 2021. The energy deficit it reaches, in absolute value, 12,096 billion (it was equal to -4.034 million a year ago) while the surplus in the trade of non-energy products increased from 5.096 million to 6.656 million. There have been year-on-year increases in exports towards almost all the main non-EU partner countries, the largest concern Turkey (+49,7%), Opec countries (+49,0%), USA (+48,5%) and ASEAN markets (+35,1 %). The contraction of exports to Russia accentuated (-34,8%). Purchases from OPEC (+112,0%), the USA (+90,1%) and Switzerland (+74,4%) recorded trend increases much larger than the average of imports from non-EU countries.
Positive signals from agricultural machinery: exports + 15,5%
However, positive signals come from agricultural machinery. Price increases and logistics caused a drop in sales on the Italian market with a drop in new registrations of -14,6% in the first nine months of 2022. Driving sales of this strategic industry for Made in Italy (the domestic market absorbs around 30% of production while the remaining 70% is destined for international markets ) the sustained trend of exports is then thinking about it, with growth in the first six months of +15,5%. And the hope for companies to close the year exceeding the threshold of 14 billion euros in turnover for the first time.
The data Istat on foreign trade, stuck in the first half of the year, indicate an overall growth in exports of +15% in value. The majority of foreign turnover is absorbed by Europe (about 56% of the total), while the American continent (primarily the USA) absorbs about 19%. On the other hand, 12% of sales go to non-EU European markets.
Tractors and machinery: turnover increases but volumes decrease
However, the price variable also affects the export trend of tractors and machinery. In fact, the progress in the turnover does not correspond to a similar result in the sales volumes which instead fell by 8%. Also in the case of the Made in Italy agricultural machinery industry there was a strong impact of costs, first of all energy, components and lastly transport. The escalation of costs seems to have induced many companies (particularly in Italy, less so abroad) to postpone their investment in mechanization, but the demand for technological innovation in agriculture is still high.
Indeed, according to the data of the new Istat census of agriculture it emerges that in the period 2018-20 out of 1,1 million farms there were around 250 thousand technologic innovations introduced. Investments that in 27,9% of cases concerned mechanization in general, in 11,6% planting and seeding machines, in 8,8% equipment for working the soil and in 8,3% systems for 'irrigation.
