AGI – A few weeks ago, at a meeting organized by the State Department in New York attended by international media including Agi, the American assistant secretary of Commerce for global markets Arun Venkataraman, had sent a message: the United States would do everything to encourage the expansion of trade relations, both inbound and outbound, relaunching the economic agenda of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Italy is among the countries that are benefiting most from relations with the USA. Washington’s decision to declare Tuscany and Umbria areas free from swine vesicular disease, effective 12 July, is one of the signs of the consolidation of relations between the two countries. This provision will allow the reopening of exports from the two regions to the United States of fresh and short-matured pork products, i.e. less than 400 days, giving a helping hand to hundreds of high-quality food businesses, starting with catering.
“For us – declared Venkataraman – It is very important to promote US exports and attract investments“. Imports from Italy must also be included on this double track. According to International Trade data, trade between Italy and the United States has reached the figure of 117 billion, with our country becoming the nineteenth largest exporter in USA in the world, and sixth largest European exporter after Germany, Holland, Ireland, France and Belgium, according to United Nations Comtrade, in 2023 the trade of goods and services recorded a record figure of 126 billion dollars. Italy exported to the USA worth 72.7 billion dollars. Between 2017 and 2022, the growth rate of exports to the US grew at an average of 22 percent. Investments between the two countries led, two years ago, to the creation of 440 thousand jobs.
American exports to Italy are mainly concentrated in the oil and gas, precious metals, machinery and pharmaceutical sectors. The USA remains Italy’s largest non-European exporter. “Trade – added Assistant Secretary Venkataraman – is an essential part of our lives. Last year we supported 93,000 American businesses and helped produce $180 billion in exports and domestic investment, supporting jobs for 600 thousand Americans. New York is among the five most important states in terms of exports with 97 billion in exports in 2023”.
“Our goal – he underlined – is to promote the United States abroad, the power of trade goes beyond this. Exchanges strengthen our interests and those of our allies and partners, promoting high levels of quality, supporting fair wages and setting strong rules for future generation technologies. We have launched new investments in growth regions, including the Indo Pacific region. As part of the Global Diversity Export Initiative, we are meeting entrepreneurs in their communities, and we have doubled the number of participants in the last two years.”
