The companies of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia They stand out for a greater resistance capacity in the event of a return of the commercial duties imposed by the United States. This evidence emerges from an analysis conducted by the Regional Headquarters of the Bank of Italy, coordinated by Paolo Chiades, who evaluated the exhibition of local companies at the US market.
The investigation is based on structural data of 2022 but which despite everything are still considered representative of the dynamics in progress today and capable of giving a clear picture of the current systation.
A production system voted abroad
One of the central elements that explain the greatest resilience of Friuli-Venezia Giulia is the strong opening of its production system to international exchanges. In the region, around 5,300 exporting companies operate, equal to 4.6% of the national total.
85% of exports are concentrated in 5% of companies with the major volumes, against 80% recorded on a national scale.
Unlike smaller realities, which focus exports to a small number of countries and products, large Friulian companies manage to reach beyond 20 different markets with an articulated offer of goods.
This allows you to relocate more easily in the event that regulatory or commercial changes occur, such as the introduction of new customs duties.
A growing performance also in 2025
The first three months of 2025 confirm the dynamism of regional exports. Friuli-Venezia Giulia records the most marked tendential growth at national level, with a +26.1% compared to the same period of 2024.
This increase is distinguished in a context in which the North-East grows by 1.6%, the center of 7.9% and the North-West remains substantially stable. South and islands, on the other hand, mark falls by 2.2% and 9.7% respectively.
A further positive signal comes from the composition of contributions to the growth of national exports.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia provides a significant contribution through the increase in exports of means of transport (excluding vehicles), which together with those of Lazio and Sicily, affect 1.5 percentage points on the national increase. The shipbuilding sector is not included in this analysis, which follows independent dynamics.
Exports to Germany in strong expansion
One of the most relevant data concerns the export of Friuli-Venezia Giulia towards the Germanyincreased by 187.4% in the first quarter of 2025. This figure represents one of the main contributions positive to the national growth of exports on an annual basis. The ability to successfully penetrate a strategic market like the German one demonstrates the competitiveness and efficiency of regional companies.
At the provincial level, the city of Trieste is reported for its good performances, in stark contrast to other areas of the same region such as Goriziawhich instead records a negative dynamic.
However, what transpires is that the combination of diversification in destination markets And variety of products Exported to the main strength of Friuli-Venezia Giulia is exported.
A structure flexible It allows companies to react more promptly to external shocks, such as any tariff barriers imposed by relevant commercial partners.
For this reason, the Region is confirmed not only among the most dynamic in terms of exports, but also among the most prepared to face the possible risks connected to the changes of global commercial policies as the effects of the duties wanted by Donald Trump could be.
