February 2009

Italian leather exports suffer

According to the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), December exports to countries outside the EU rose 5.4% year-on-year, while imports fell 3.3%. Compared with November, exports rose 2.1% in December, while imports fell 2.3% while, for the full year, exports grew by 6.1% and imports by 9.4% compared with 2007 figures.

Leather and leathergoods exports fell 6.5% in December compared with December 2007 figures, while textile and clothing exports fell 7.3% and rubber and plastic products dropped 3.5%. For the full year, exports rose across the board apart from leather and leathergoods, non-metallic mineral products, electrical and precision products, textile and clothing items and other manufactured goods including furniture.

(Source: www.leatherbiz.com)