Despite the rapid recovery, after the collapse of March and April, 2020 closes with an overall contraction in exports of 9.7% (the worst result after the fall recorded in 2009) ". Istat reports. imports decreased by 12.8% in 2020. The contraction in exports, "due for more than one third to the decline in sales of capital goods, extended to all the main export markets: ASEAN and OPEC countries, France and the United Kingdom show the most marked flexions;
on the contrary, the decline in exports to China is very limited ", reads the report.
Istat also releases data for the month of December and the last quarter of the year. For December, Istat estimates a decline in exports of 3.8% compared to November and for imports of 1.1%. On an annual basis, however, exports accelerated growth to 3.3% (after + 1.1% in November), driven by metals and means of transport. Imports fell by 1.7% compared to December 2019.
"Despite the economic decline in December, the export dynamics in the fourth quarter are positive compared to the previous quarter" with an increase of 3.3%, he explains the Institute of Statistics, "mainly driven by higher sales of capital goods and intermediate goods. In the same period, imports increased by 4.3%". (HANDLE).
