(ANSA) - ROME, FEBRUARY 16 - 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. 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 unloading markets: ASEAN and OPEC countries, France United Kingdom show the most marked inflections;
on the contrary, the drop in exports to China is very contained ", reads the report.
Istat also disseminates data relating to the month of December and the last quarter of the year.
For December, Istat estimates a decline for exports of 3.8% compared to November and for imports of 1.1%.
On an annual basis, on the other hand, exports accelerate 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 dynamics of exports in the fourth quarter are positive compared to the previous quarter" with an increase of 3.3%, 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).
