ANCONA – The fear of Covid has now passed even in China, where last year Paxlovid, an antiviral produced in the Pfizer plant in Ascoli, was still selling like hotcakes, slowing down exports from the Marche region.
The figure for the first quarter of 2024, still provisional, drops to a value of 3,589.9 million euros, more than halved (-55.5%) compared to the first quarter of 2023. Sterilized by the fluctuating performance of the pharmaceutical sector – previously inflated from the pandemic effect and in the last year more than halved – the drop in sales from the Marche abroad is much more contained: -2.6%, almost in line (only a little worse) with the trend of the country which records a decline of 1.1%.
The collapse in Marche exports in the first quarter of 2024 is almost entirely due to the decline (-55.5%) in pharmaceutical, chemical, botanical medicinal items compared to the exceptional peak of the first quarter of 2023 (8,066.0 million euros), which has now returned to values more in line with those recorded in recent years (and which have fluctuated between 2,750 million euros up to 3,970 million euros).
Transportation and cars
If transport (+150% on the first quarter of 2023) and automotive (+64%) performed well, there was a decline in fashion and footwear (-6.3%), a sector which until December last had contributed favorably to the trend growth of our exports. «Our entrepreneurs, who have strenuously resisted in these complex years and who are asserting themselves at Pitti while waiting for the autumn fairs – is the comment of the Marche Chamber of Commerce -, are starting to feel the effects of the difficult and continuing economic situation and need the supply chain institutional that compactly supports them: Camera Marche continues to do its part also through the action of the dedicated Special Company Linea, for example through the proposal of the fair announcement for this year too: 800,000 euros are already available for expenses relating to trade fairs in the first half of the year, and a new call for tenders coming out for the fairs in the second half of the year.” With the exception of the province of Pesaro-Urbino, which is growing modestly (+0.5%), the trend is unfavorable for the others, starting with Ascoli Piceno, whose exports suffer a drastic reduction (-85.7%, again attributable to the pharmaceutical). The declines in exports from the provinces of Ancona (-6.9%) and Fermo (-5.5%) were more limited, while Macerata closed almost at par (-0.6%). The main destination of manufacturing exports (99% of total exports) of the Marche in the first quarter of 2024 is still Germany (433.9 million, +7.6%), followed by France (394.5 million, -2.2% ) and Us (268.3 million, -33.8%). Exports to China, reduced by the collapse of pharmaceuticals. they fell in one year from 3,517.2 million euros to 99.3 million euros (-97.2%).
