• Industry, Istat: in March production -28.4% compared to February
  • Istat. In March -25% for retail sales
  • Istat: in March 2020 + 49.4% deaths compared to 2019
  • Istat: 13.5 billion between unemployment and layoffs in 2019

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14 May 2020 In March 2020, a net economic downturn is estimated, equal to -16.8%, in both exports and imports. This was revealed by a study by Istat which explains that the sharp contraction on a monthly basis of exports is due to the sharp drop in sales both to non-EU markets (-18.5%) and, to a lesser extent, to EU area (-15.2%).

In the first quarter of 2020, compared to the previous one, there was a decrease of 4.1% for exports and 5.1% for imports.

Also in March 2020, the decrease on an annual basis of exports was -13.5% and is due to the sharp drop in sales both to the non-EU area (-14.7%) and to the EU area. (-12.2%). Imports also fell sharply (-18.1%) from both markets, more markedly from those outside the EU (-21.7%) compared to the EU area (-15.5%).

Among the sectors that contribute most to the downward trend in exports are machinery and equipment not classified in other categories (nec) (-21.2%), motor vehicles (-40.7%), leather goods, excluding clothing, and similar (-32.2%) and other means of transport, motor vehicles excluded (-26.9%). On an annual basis, exports of pharmaceutical, chemical-medicinal and botanical articles (+ 32.5%) and food, beverages and tobacco (+ 13.5%) increased.

On an annual basis, the countries that contribute most to the fall in exports are France (-18.3%), the United Kingdom (-24.3%), Spain (-19.8%), Switzerland (-18 , 9%), Germany (-7.2%) and OPEC countries (-24.3%).

In the first quarter of 2020, the trend decrease in exports (-1.9%) is due in particular to the decrease in sales of machinery and equipment nec (-9.3%), motor vehicles (-13.1%), leather goods , excluding clothing, and the like (-10.7%) and electrical appliances (-8.3%).

In March 2020, the trade balance is estimated to increase by 1,106 million euros (from +4,579 million in March 2019 to +5,685 million in March 2020). Net of energy products, the balance is +7,691 million euros (it was +7,905 million in March 2019).

In March 2020, import prices are estimated to decrease by 3.1% on February 2020 and by 5.1% on an annual basis.