PALERMO (ITALPRESS) – The 9% growth between the first quarter of 2023 and that of 2024 is the most significant indicator of the progress made in Sicilian exports: the region, despite only occupying tenth place in Italy, is in fact second in Southern Italy and through its island status constitutes a focal point of maritime transport in the Mediterranean. This data was illustrated in the presentation of the Doing Export Report 2024, organized by Sace in Milan, Bologna and Palermo: hosting the event in the Sicilian capital is Magnisi Studio in via Amari, where the company is finalizing the transfer of its territorial headquarters (currently in Corso Vittorio Emanuele) because it is considered an innovative hub of the city, as well as an accelerator of territorial ideas, start-ups and innovative SMEs.
In 2023, the export value in Sicily stood at 14 billion euros: a figure which, together with the +9% between January and March 2024, is indicative of a better performance by the region compared to both the Southern and national averages . Among the provinces, Syracuse leads the ranking in terms of cross-border sales with 59%, followed by Catania with 17% and Messina with 11%: in general, Sicily occupies 2.2% of total exports Italian.
In 2023, as far as the region is concerned, cross-border sales saw a decline in refined products (-23.5%), food (-5.4%) and chemical products (-31%), while electronic appliances (+1.9%), agricultural products (+11.2%) and electrical appliances (+84%) increased; in the first quarter of 2024, growth involved refined products (+11.3%), chemical products (+3.4%) and electrical appliances (+133%), while the decline concerned food products (but only 0.3%) and electronic appliances (-14.6%). Again in the first months of the year, regional sales recorded a positive trend in almost all destination markets: Croatia (+52.6%), United States (+24.3%), Spain (+29.5%), Gibraltar (+33.4%), Germany (+1.1%), China (+29.9%), Brazil (+245.8%) and India (+35.1%): only exports to France decreased (-12.2%).
The Houthi attacks in the Suez Canal did not have much of an impact on Sicilian exports: according to Cinzia Guerrieri, Senior Economist of the Sace Research Office, “despite the increase in costs and the difficulty in obtaining materials, these are critical issues of temporary, already in the process of being reabsorbed: at the beginning of the year there were declines along international supply chains, but over the months they are rebalancing. The trade of goods at a global level passes mostly through maritime transport, companies are working to diversify suppliers and outlet markets and consequently to better deal with this type of shock”.
Chiara Pollicina, Relationship Manager Sicily-Calabria, explains Sace’s activity in the regional territory: “Sace in Sicily supports around 900 companies: between the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024 we supported around a billion projects in their growth and in Italy, to allow them to face their challenges in terms of sustainability and innovation, both on foreign markets in terms of internationalization”.
– Photo: xd8/Italpress –
(ITALPRESS).
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