If i duties Of Donald Trump They should affect Italian products the consequences would be dramatic and immediate. The US President apparently left the hypothesis of grating Italy open, considering his personal relationship with Giorgia Meloni (“I like it very much, we will see what happens”).
However, the capital rule of profit is that “business is business” and, therefore, do not take into account any personal sympathy.
Made in Italy exposed to the duties of Donald Trump
A note from Study Center Confindustria It highlights how Made in Italy is particularly exposed to any American duties, since the USA “are the first non-non-EU destination of the Italian exports of goods and services and the first ever for investments directed abroad”.
In 2024 sales of Italian products in the USA were approximately 65 billion euros. The potential damage after the introduction of American duties would affect in particular drinks (39%), cars and other means of transport (30.7%and 34%) and pharmaceutical (-30.7%).
The experience recalls that in the previous Trump administration, the weight of the duties has been unloaded entirely on the final consumer, who found himself having to pay more the goods, which translated into a lower demand and minor margins for businesses.
However, each medal has its backhand: since the duties will hit a series of countries on at least three continents it is possible that market shares are freed, potentially contentable by Italian companies.
Import and export between Italy and the USA
Between the USA and Italy there is a very close relationship from an economic point of view: Italy’s direct investments towards the United States amount to almost 5 billion per year and are about 27% of the total. Instead, 1.5 billion per year are flows from the USA to Italy. The American multinationals operating on the Italian territory are the first by number of employees, with over 350,000 employees in 2022 and contribute for over 1/5 to the national added value in the field of research and development.
The EU average of sales in the non -EU market, as regards exports to the USA, settles at 19.7%. Italy exceeds this average, going to sell the 22.2% of its products intended for the non-EU market directly to the USA. The Italian import depends less on the US, compared to the EU average: 9.9% against 13.8%.
Confcommercio He interviewed 408 entrepreneurs from the tertiary area in the Milan area, Monza Brianza and Lodi: the response of three out of four companies was the provision of a 5% increase in consumer prices. If most of the tertiary entrepreneurs believe that the effect of duties will be resolved in an increase in the sale price, other companies aim for the diversification of the markets while still others (21%) are expected to face a reduction in profit margins .
Other critical issues in addition to the US duties
But any duties of Donald Trump on Made in Italy are only the last criticality that affects Italian companies, which already face a cost of energy Among the highest in Europe, the lack of investmentsone taxation exorbitant, one bureaucracy which often represents a brake instead of help and one Green transition What part of the production world considers ideologized and not at all anchored to the real industrial feasibility, ignoring the current technological, economic and infrastructure constraints.
