Italian exports to China 14 times lower than imports

Rome - According to the Italian agricultural organization Coldiretti, the exports of Italian foodstuffs and fresh products to China have grown +23% in the first eight months of 2005, but China remains however only the 66th foreign market for Italian products.

The Italian products indeed occupy a very low share of the Chinese market, on one hand because commercial accords about the fresh produce imports (kiwi is an example) are still lacking. The Italian imports of Chinese foodstuffs and fresh products are still 14 times greater than exports.

In 2004 concentrated tomatoes for a value of € 62 mln. have been imported, frozen and pickled veg for € 28 mln., dry beans for € 19 mln. and apples for € 4 mln. Many of these products are transformed or re-packaged in Italy, without any clear origin indication on labels, as Coldiretti complains.

Publication date: 21 dec 2005
Author: Rossella Gigli
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