Decoding the news: New foreign trade figures released today by ISTAT confirm that Italy’s international projection is translating into concrete results. Export growth — especially toward extra-EU markets — reinforces Rome’s push to diversify partners and consolidate its role across fast-growing regions, from Southeast Asia to the broader Indo-Mediterranean space.
The big picture: Italy closed December 2025 with a clear improvement in external trade dynamics, driven by stronger sales of industrial goods and a sharply reduced energy deficit. The rebound comes after a softer final quarter and underscores the structural weight of manufacturing and intermediate goods in Italy’s export model.
By the numbers:
- Exports: Up +4.6% year-on-year in December, after a contraction in November. Growth toward extra-EU markets was led by intermediate goods (+18.2%) and capital goods (+8.2%).
- Imports: Down -1.2% year-on-year, with lower energy imports (-32.0%) and capital goods (-10.3%) offsetting higher purchases of non-durable consumer goods and intermediates.
- Trade balance (extra-EU): A surplus of €8.4bn, up from €6.9bn a year earlier.
- Energy deficit: Narrowed sharply to -€3.5bn, from -€5.1bn in December 2024.
- Quarterly trend: Q4 exports slipped -0.8% compared to Q3, reflecting weaker energy and capital goods sales, while imports fell –1.8% overall.
The political horizon: Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani framed the data as validation of the government’s export-led strategy. Citing official ISTAT figures, Tajani said the results confirm that Italy’s trade and foreign policy efforts are “delivering strong outcomes,” pointing to a +4.6% increase in exports to extra-EU markets in December alone.
- He highlighted a particularly sharp rise in exports to ASEAN countries (+47.8%), presenting it as evidence that Italy’s global footprint is expanding beyond traditional European partners.
- According to Tajani, Rome must continue to diversify markets and double down on what he called a “growth diplomacy,” coordinated across the Sistema Italia agencies, the business community, and the diplomatic-consular network.
The bottom line: Italy’s trade data backs the government’s narrative — export diversification and diplomatic activism are increasingly reflected in hard economic indicators.
