Italy's trade balance reached in 2023 a surplus of 34 billion euros. The trade balance measures the difference between a country's exports and imports. A surplus indicates that a nation exports more than it exports, while a deficit means that imports are higher than exports. In 2022, Italy recorded a deficit of 34 billion euros.

In January 2022, Italy registered a trade deficit with the European Union amounting to about 890 million euros. In general, Italy profits greatly from the exchange of goods and services with the EU partners. When looking at the global scale, Italy is once again a winner in this trading system. In March 2019, Italy registered a trade surplus of 4.6 billion euros.

Trade buddies

Italian products are very popular abroad, and exports are vital for many sectors of the country’s industry. Italy exports most of its products to its partners in the European Union. In fact, among the leading importers of Italian products, four out of six belong to the EU. Germany is Italy’s leading export partner, with 12.5 percent of the total Italian exports headed to the EU’s biggest economy. The other way around is also true. In 2017, 16.5 percent of the total imports to Italy came from Germany.

The Northwest looks abroad

When looking at the trade balance of the Italian regions, it becomes evident that some areas of the country are more internationalized than others, also due to the higher level of industrialization. The Northwest of the country, which includes the regions of Lombardy, Piedmont, Liguria and Aosta Valley, exported almost 48 billion euros worth of goods and services in the last quarter of 2018. In comparison, exports from the Northeast, the second microregion in the country in terms of exports, reached a value of 39 billion euros.

Graph and download economic data for International Merchandise Trade Statistics: Trade Balance: Commodities for Italy (XTNTVA01ITA667S) from 1957 to 2024 about Italy, trade, Net, and goods.

Trade (% of GDP) in Italy was reported at 66.24 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Italy - Trade (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on May of 2025.

Italy Exports to China was US$16.61 Billion during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. Italy Exports to China - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on June of 2025.

The statistic shows the trade balance of services (exports minus imports of services) in Italy from 2013 to 2023. A positive value means a trade surplus, a negative trade balance means a trade deficit. In 2023, the estimated trade deficit of services in Italy amounted to about 8.13 billion U.S. dollars.

Trade Balance: Non EU Countries: sa data was reported at 1,063.000 EUR mn in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2,293.000 EUR mn for Aug 2018. Trade Balance: Non EU Countries: sa data is updated monthly, averaging 647.000 EUR mn from Jan 1993 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 309 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,292.000 EUR mn in Sep 2017 and a record low of -3,487.000 EUR mn in Dec 2010. Trade Balance: Non EU Countries: sa data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.JA001: Trade Statistics. Croatia joined the European Union last July 1, 2013

Graph and download economic data for International Merchandise Trade Statistics: Exports: Commodities for Italy (XTEXVA01ITM657S) from Feb 1957 to Feb 2025 about Italy, exports, trade, and goods.

Italy - International trade: Exports was EUR623508.70 Million in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Italy - International trade: Exports - last updated from the EUROSTAT on June of 2025. Historically, Italy - International trade: Exports reached a record high of EUR626169.40 Million in December of 2022 and a record low of EUR337407.40 Million in December of 2010.

IT: Imports: Lead Time: Documentary Compliance data was reported at 1.000 Hour in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.000 Hour for 2016. IT: Imports: Lead Time: Documentary Compliance data is updated yearly, averaging 1.000 Hour from Dec 2014 (Median) to 2017, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.000 Hour in 2017 and a record low of 1.000 Hour in 2017. IT: Imports: Lead Time: Documentary Compliance data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.World Bank: Trade Statistics. Documentary compliance captures the time and cost associated with compliance with the documentary requirements of all government agencies of the origin economy, the destination economy and any transit economies. The aim is to measure the total burden of preparing the bundle of documents that will enable completion of the international trade for the product and partner pair assumed in the case study.; ; World Bank, Doing Business project (http://www.doingbusiness.org/).; Unweighted average; Time is measured in hours, and 1 day is 24 hours (for example, 22 days are recorded as 22 × 24 = 528 hours). If customs clearance takes 7.5 hours, the data are recorded as is. Alternatively, suppose that documents are submitted to a customs agency at 8:00 a.m., are processed overnight and can be picked up at 8:00 a.m. the next day. In this case the time for customs clearance would be recorded as 24 hours because the actual procedure took 24 hours. Data are presented for the survey year instead of publication year.

Italy IT: Trade Balance data was reported at 9.296 USD bn in Mar 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 17.755 USD bn for Dec 2017. Italy IT: Trade Balance data is updated quarterly, averaging -318.600 USD mn from Mar 1960 (Median) to Mar 2018, with 233 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18.094 USD bn in Dec 2014 and a record low of -18.568 USD bn in Mar 2011. Italy IT: Trade Balance data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.IMF.DOT: Trade Balance: by Country: Quarterly.

Trade in services (% of GDP) in Italy was reported at 13.21 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Italy - Trade in services (% of GDP) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

IT: Tariff Rate: Most Favored Nation: Weighted Mean: Primary Products data was reported at 3.180 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.520 % for 2015. IT: Tariff Rate: Most Favored Nation: Weighted Mean: Primary Products data is updated yearly, averaging 3.550 % from Dec 1988 (Median) to 2016, with 29 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.960 % in 1995 and a record low of 2.070 % in 2012. IT: Tariff Rate: Most Favored Nation: Weighted Mean: Primary Products data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.World Bank: Trade Tariffs. Weighted mean most favored nations tariff is the average of most favored nation rates weighted by the product import shares corresponding to each partner country. Data are classified using the Harmonized System of trade at the six- or eight-digit level. Tariff line data were matched to Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) revision 3 codes to define commodity groups and import weights. Import weights were calculated using the United Nations Statistics Division's Commodity Trade (Comtrade) database. Primary products are commodities classified in SITC revision 3 sections 0-4 plus division 68 (nonferrous metals).; ; World Bank staff estimates using the World Integrated Trade Solution system, based on data from United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Trade Analysis and Information System (TRAINS) database and the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Integrated Data Base (IDB) and Consolidated Tariff Schedules (CTS) database.; ;

Italy trade balance for 2023 was 31.15 billion US dollars, a 192.46% decline from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Italy trade balance for 2022 was <strong>-33.69 billion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>172.45% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>Italy trade balance for 2021 was <strong>46.50 billion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>31.91% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>Italy trade balance for 2020 was <strong>68.29 billion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>2.08% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>External balance on goods and services (formerly resource balance) equals exports of goods and services minus imports of goods and services (previously nonfactor services). Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Egypt EG: Trade Balance: Advanced Economies: Italy data was reported at 341.900 USD mn in Mar 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 113.600 USD mn for Dec 2017. Egypt EG: Trade Balance: Advanced Economies: Italy data is updated quarterly, averaging -27.630 USD mn from Mar 1960 (Median) to Mar 2018, with 209 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 341.900 USD mn in Mar 2018 and a record low of -481.786 USD mn in Dec 2015. Egypt EG: Trade Balance: Advanced Economies: Italy data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Egypt – Table EG.IMF.DOT: Trade Balance: by Country: Quarterly.

Graph and download economic data for International Trade: Imports: Value (Goods): Total for Italy (XTIMVA01ITQ188S) from Q1 1995 to Q3 2023 about Italy, imports, trade, and goods.

Russia Exports to Italy was US$19.28 Billion during 2021, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. Russia Exports to Italy - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on June of 2025.

IT: Binding Coverage: All Products data was reported at 100.000 % in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 100.000 % for 2015. IT: Binding Coverage: All Products data is updated yearly, averaging 100.000 % from Dec 1995 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 100.000 % in 2016 and a record low of 100.000 % in 2016. IT: Binding Coverage: All Products data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.World Bank.WDI: Trade Tariffs. Binding coverage is the percentage of product lines with an agreed bound rate. Bound rates result from trade negotiations incorporated into a country's schedule of concessions and are thus enforceable.; ; World Bank staff estimates using the World Integrated Trade Solution system, based on data from World Trade Organization.; ;

Italy IT: Trade Balance: Advanced Economies: Switzerland data was reported at 784.250 USD mn in May 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 916.480 USD mn for Apr 2018. Italy IT: Trade Balance: Advanced Economies: Switzerland data is updated monthly, averaging 22.800 USD mn from Jan 1960 (Median) to May 2018, with 701 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.881 USD bn in Nov 2017 and a record low of -263.030 USD mn in Nov 1992. Italy IT: Trade Balance: Advanced Economies: Switzerland data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.IMF.DOT: Trade Balance: by Country: Monthly.

Italy IT: Trade Balance: Emerging and Developing Economies: Europe data was reported at -2.898 USD bn in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of -1.341 USD bn for 2016. Italy IT: Trade Balance: Emerging and Developing Economies: Europe data is updated yearly, averaging -143.100 USD mn from Dec 1948 (Median) to 2017, with 70 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.978 USD bn in 1997 and a record low of -14.428 USD bn in 2011. Italy IT: Trade Balance: Emerging and Developing Economies: Europe data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Italy – Table IT.IMF.DOT: Trade Balance: by Country: Annual.