Overview of Italian Market

Italy's Country Profile

Size 301.340 km²
Population 59.5 million
Government Republic
Capital Rome
Language Italian
Currency Euro (1 CAN$ = 0.76€)
GDP US$2.005 trillion (2010 est.)
GDP - (PPP) US$29,392 (2010 est.)
Real GDP Growth Rate -1.0825% (2008-2011 average)
Unemployment Rate 8% (2011 est.)
Inflation 2,8% (2011)
Internet TLD .it

By virtue of its strategic location in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy is the main thoroughfare linking southern Europe to northern and central Europe by land, sea and air. It provides a gateway affording easy access to 436 million consumers across the European Union, and a further 240 million in Northern Africa and the Middle East.

According to the IMF, theWorld Bank and the CIA Word Factbook, in 2010 Italy was the 8th economy in the world in terms of nominal GDP and has the world's 10th highest quality of life index. The country has a very high standard of living, is the world's 23rd most developed country, surpassing other comparable developed countries such as the UK.

Italy has the world's 7th (8th including the European Union) highest exports, amounting to US$ 448,400,000,000 (est.) in 2010. The great strength of the Italian economy lays in its vibrant small and medium firms, specializing both in high quality consumer goods and in high tech design and engineering products, which have gained large shares of the global market. The small size of such companies is often offset by their belonging to and working within specialized clusters.

Country's economy key sectors are several. Engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, footwear, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals. Tourism is one of the fastest growing and most profitable sectors of the national economy: with 43.6 million international tourist arrivals (2010), Italy is the fifth major tourist destination in the world.

Italian roads cover approximately 1 million km, making them the second longest network in the EU (27), after France. The Italian rail network has 16,300 km of track, making it the fifth longest in the EU (27). With an evolved system of international ports, logistics platforms and interports, Italy ranks as the second most important country in Europe for maritime freight.

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British Columbia - Italy Trade

Merchandise imports to British Columbia from Italy

  IMPORT (Thousands $ CAN)
Sector 2010 2011 Var %
Machinery 103.45 115.74 11.9
Food & beverages 47.7 48.13 0.9
Wood, paper, rubber 38.18 38.13 0.3
Ceramic products & stones 27.23 27.63 1.5
Animal and vegetable fats and oils 19.04 20.57 8.1
Metals 17.67 16.2 -8.3
Clothing, textiles & footwear 12.84 16.03 24.8
Optical instruments 8.17 9.78 19.8
Leather products 5.01 7.1 41.7
Vegetable products 4.82 5.74 19
TOT. 343.190 370.377 7.9

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Merchandise exports from British Columbia to Italy

  EXPORT (Thousands $ CAN)
Sector 2010 2011 Var %
Mineral products 195.39 273.89 40.2
Pulp of wood 179.22 167.88 -6.3
Optical instruments 30.48 25.75 -15.75
Wood, paper, rubber 23.35 28.33 21.3
Machinery 12.96 7.79 -39.9
Chemical products 2.07 1.52 -26.7
Vehicles 1.61 1.39 -13.9
Animal products 1.17 2.55 118.3
Plastic articles 0.370 0.507 37
Ceramic products & stones 0.233 0.264 13.5
TOT. 451.829 514.259 13.8

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Alberta - Italy Trade

Merchandise imports to Alberta from Italy

  IMPORT (Thousands $ CAN)
Sector 2010 2011 Var %
Machinery 103 134.18 30.3
Food & beverages 44.89 46.84 4.3
Metals 40 86.07 115.2
Chemical products 19.38 15.79 -18.5
Ceramic products & stones 14.5 12.29 -15.2
Vehicles 10.22 7.97 -22
Plastic articles 6.53 6.7 2.6
Furniture & optical instruments 4.43 5.77 30.3
Animal and vegetable fats and oils 2.36 3.76 59.5
Clothing, textiles & footwear 2.01 2.53 25.6
TOT. 264.525 344.404 30.2

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Merchandise exports from Alberta to Italy

  EXPORT (Thousands $ CAN)
Sector 2010 2011 Var %
Vegetable products 63.17 68.38 8.3
Metals 37.2 53.18 43
Pulp of wood 24.75 32.67 32
Machinery 16.64 22.53 35.4
Furniture & optical instruments 4.81 1.90 -60.5
Chemical products 3.68 4.06 10.2
Mineral products 2.35 0.116 -95
Food & beverages 1.42 1.85 30.5
Plastic articles 0.343 0.342 -0.4
Leather products 0.192 0.1 -99.7
TOT. 156.832 193.472 23.4

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Canada - Italy Trade

Merchandise imports to Canada from Italy

  IMPORT (Thousands $ CAN)
Sector 2010 2011 Var %
Machinery 1.173,775 1.439,276 22.6
Chemical products 595.260 651.22 9.4
Food & beverages 576.15 615.29 6.8
Vehicles 350.24 345.28 -1.4
Ceramic products & stones 238.9 229.09 -4.1
Metals 227.17 289.28 27.3
Clothing, textiles & footwear 226.79 251.62 10.9
Mineral products 199.85 109 -45.5
Furniture & optical instruments 190.11 200.87 5.7
Animal and vegetable fats and oils 117.84 118.07 5.7
TOT. 4.662,175 5.103,323 9.5

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Merchandise exports from Canada to Italy

  EXPORT (Thousands $ CAN)
Sector 2010 2011 Var %
Vegetable products 326.26 424.04 30
Pulp of wood 308.61 258.31 -16.3
Mineral products 286.56 389.7 36
Machinery 242.88 244.13 -0.5
Metals 148.03 115.85 -21.7
Vehicles 89.69 100.46 12
Furniture & optical instruments 83.89 82.19 -2
Chemical products 67.63 57.04 -15.7
Jewellery articles 56.49 29.28 -48.2
Wood 31.37 34.45 9.8
TOT. 1.829,981 1.877,780 2.6

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