The export data relating to the second quarter of 2013 leave room for greater optimism for the traditional districts of Lombardy, after the subdued results of the previous quarter: +4,8% growth trend, at current values, which brings the performance of the half-year, towards an overall increase of 1,6% on 2012. At the origin of the recovery, the return to growth in exports directed towards mature markets (+2,4% trend increase in the April-June quarter), after four consecutive quarters of contraction. In particular, a recovery can be identified in some primary reference markets, such as Germany and France, while the United States and the United Kingdom confirm growth rates comparable to those of the first quarter. Even the new markets, while still playing a secondary role in the total exports of the Lombardy district, made a positive contribution to the growth of foreign sales in the second quarter, starting with Algeria, Russia and China, which are now among the top ten markets outlet.
The district cross-section highlights a generalized growth in exports in the second quarter, with the exception of five districts which confirmed a subdued performance. Extending the scope of observation to the entire first half of 2013, there are nine districts struggling to maintain growing export levels, thanks to an increase in exports in the April-June quarter which was not large enough to compensate for the contractions in the first quarter of the year. First of all, these include the instrumental mechanics of Varese, the clothing-textiles of Gallarate, the rubber of Sebino in the Bergamo area, the wood of Casalasco-Viadanese. Among the district realities that, on the other hand, have collected a growing export, both in the second quarter of 2013 and in the whole of the first half of the year, include the textile and plastic material machinery of Bergamo (+21,2% in the half year) , the leather tanning machines of Vigevano (+21,1%, again in the first six months as a whole), the clothing and footwear of the lower Brescia area (+11,5%), the rice of Pavia (+10,1, 9,7%), the wines of Franciacorta (+XNUMX), the districts of the metalworking chain of Brescia, Mantua and Lecco, the Lombard dairy industry, the wood and furnishings of Brianza, the silk-textiles of Como, the district of Lumezza of housewares, rubber and plastic items from Varese.
The second quarter of 2013 marked a growth trend also for the export of polo shirts Lombard technologies, of the order of 1,1%, at current values. The result is entirely attributable to the performance of the Varese aeronautical hub, which collected a +21,5% thanks to the driving force of the United States, France and Japan, as well as the expansion of sales in new markets (Qatar, Algeria, Turkey) . On the other hand, foreign sales of the Milan ICT hub (-2% in the April-June quarter) and of the Milanese pharmaceutical hub (-6,2%) are still down. Also the exports of the Lombardy technological poles aggregate decreased in the first half of 2013, of the order of 1,3%, due to lackluster results in the first three months of the year.
The number of authorized hours of redundancy fund within the traditional districts of Lombardy decreased by 2,5% in the first eight months of the year, reaching 51,6 million. The result can be traced back to the deceleration of the Cassa in Deroga (CIGD) hours alone, of the order of 33,9% (for a total of 6 million hours). The hours of Cassa Ordinaria, hand in glove with the trend of the economic cycle, are instead still slightly up on 2012 (+1%) and represent the predominant type of instrument, absorbing around half of the total number of hours (25,5 millions). At the same time, the Extraordinary Fund, to be requested in conjunction with situations of structural crisis of the enterprises, also experienced further growth (by 8,3%), reaching a weight close to 39% (approximately 20 million). In correspondence with the three Lombard technological poles, the increase in cash hours continued to be strong in the first eight months of the year, mainly through the Extraordinary Cash channel (+20,4%, for 3,5 million hours authorized ), which accounts for 77% of the total number of hours (5,4 million hours).
Attachments: Lombardia_SETTEMBRE2013.pdf
