Foreign trade continues to represent one of the fundamental pillars for the Italian economy, despite the difficulties related to a global context marked by productive slowdowns, geopolitical tensions and new balances in the reference markets.
The data relating to the second quarter of 2025, released by Istat on 11 September 2025, photograph a complex and uneven situation, which highlights marked differences between North and South and an increasingly driving role in some “champions” regions of exports, capable of partially compensating the difficulties of other areas of the country.
Central and North West derive exports
If on the one hand the Italian overall exports in the first half of the year grow by +2.1% compared to the same period of 2024, on the other growth is the result of very differentiated territorial performance.
Some regions have recorded real leaps forward, while others struggle and accuse heavy repercussions.
The positive dynamics are mainly the regions of the center, which mark a tendential increase in 10.7% in the first six months of 2025. Two absolute protagonists stand out inside this area:
Lazio scored a +17.4%, guided by the exceptional growth of pharmaceutical and chemical-medicinal exports, which now represent the beating heart of its foreign trade.
The most interesting figure concerns sales to the United States, even grown by +133.7% for the Lazio pharmaceutical sector.
Tuscany is confirmed in the Italian locomotives with a +11.8%.
Here the towing comes from two fronts:
- pharmaceutical and chemical-medicinal products;
- Basic metals and metal products.
But it is above all the ability of the region to expand its reference markets that make the difference.
Exports to Spain are in fact almost doubled ( +97.5%), while those towards France climbed by +27.0%.
In the North West, however, growth is more contained (+1.5%), but significant if we consider that the area came from two consecutive quarters of decreases.
Lombardy remains the undisputed queen of Italian exports in terms of absolute values. His contribution to the national figure has been strengthened by sales to Switzerland (+22.5%), where highly specialized products, from pharmaceutical to mechanics.
Milan and Frosinone are among the most dynamic provinces, confirming the importance of well -inserted production poles in global markets.
North East, South and Islands: exports are in braking
Much less brilliant is the situation in the North East, which records a tendential flexion of -0.5%.
In this area there are two opposing trends: on the one hand the good result of Friuli Venezia Giulia (+6.6%), driven by exports of means of transport to Germany (+92.2%), on the other the weakness of other regions, which weigh down the overall balance.
However, the real critical point remains the South, where the difficulties are profound and widespread.
In the first semester of 2025, the exports of the South drop by -6.6%, while those of the islands collapse of -13.3%. The regional data confirm the scope of the braking in:
- Sardinia (-17.3%);
- Campania (-15.5%);
- Sicily (-11.2%);
- Molise (-9.8%).
In particular, Sardinia and Sicily pay the reduction of sales of refined oil products, a sector that historically weighs a lot in their commercial scales.
Campania instead suffers from the drop in pharmaceutical and above all that of the automotive sector, once the flagship of the regional economy.
In this case, the exports of motor vehicles mark a sudden braking, together with sales to Switzerland (-43.1%).
At the provincial level, the most negative performances come from Naples, Syracuse, Gorizia, Cagliari and Turin, territories that discount the weakness of the respective overflowing sectors and which contribute decisively to the overall slowdown.
To those who sell Italy: United States and Europe protagonists
On the geographical front, the US market is confirmed central for Italian growth.
In general, exports to the USA are in rapidly expanding and represent a strong point for the future, despite the uncertainties related to international commercial policies.
In Europe, Italy strengthens its presence in Spain, France, Germany and Switzerland, markets that absorb growing altitude of Italian exports.
Spain, in particular, proves to be an increasingly strategic commercial partner, thanks to the exceptional increase in Tuscan sales.
The picture that emerges is that of an Italy split in two.
Exports remain an essential leverage for the competitiveness of the country, but the challenge of the next few years will be to reduce the territorial gap.
