Italian export on the rise: + 4% in the next 4 years, € 490 billion in 2020

In addition to 2017-2020 forecasts on Italian exports by country and sector and some monographic analysis of high-impact global phenomena, the study shows a cautious optimism.

"Despite the warnings about trade restrictions and persistent uncertainty, the opportunities offered by global trade exchange are by no means destined to be lost – affirms Beniamino Quintieri, SACE Chairman, making clear that – for 2017-2020, we expect our exports to grow at an average annual rate of 4%, showing a change in pace compared to the previous four-year performance (+ 1.7%). Businesses with a clear strategy on targeting markets and identifying appropriate tools to assess risks and opportunities will be able to seize the moment".

"We are not heading toward the end of globalization, rather toward a new phase, – explains Roberta Marracino, SACE Head of Research and Communications, adding that – we are facing a more interconnected phase, in which some markets are shutting it down, while others are opening up. The center of global competition is shifting from individual countries to Global Value Chains. This phase will be characterized not only by sharing goods but also by trading services, projects and ideas, which will assume a more prevalent role, and export will prove itself to be an essential growth factor for Italy".

At least for 2017, however, the slowdown in trade and the protectionist trends will represent a crucial topic for almost all industrial sectors worldwide, forcing companies to be more accurate and selective in choosing the markets where to export and invest, including political and regulatory risks as primary elements of their strategic plans.

To fully exploit the potential of our country, the SACE report identifies a group of 15 high-priority markets on which we need to focus our international development efforts and points out the opportunities and the risks that should be monitored, sector by sector, in the next four years.