Highlights
The seasonally adjusted merchandise trade balance was surprisingly in the black to the tune of E0.51B at the end of last quarter.

The improvement over a revised E0.87B shortfall in August reflected a 6.6 percent monthly bounce in cash exports that more than saw off a modest 0.6 percent gain in imports.

On the year, nominal exports were well down in all the main industries. Worst hit was energy (35.1 percent) but consumer goods (15.2 percent), capital goods (14.1 percent) and intermediates (21.7 percent) were all sharply weaker too. Total exports declined 18.0 percent or 17.2 percent excluding energy.

The picture for imports, down 24.9 percent overall, was little different although consumer goods (minus 6.0 percent) held up relatively well. With domestic demand still disappointingly sluggish, Italy is likely to be particularly reliant upon its export industries for any significant growth in real GDP near-term.

2009 Release Schedule

Released On: 1/21 2/19 3/19 4/21 5/19 6/18 7/16 9/4 9/24 10/16 11/19 12/16 Released For: Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct