The Italian agri-food sector continues to benefit from strong international demand, reflecting a general trend of export growth, which, in April 2026, recorded an 8,8% increase year-on-year. Although the overall figure shows a 2,2% decline compared to March, the first four months of the year remain positive and confirm the ability of Italian companies to maintain a strong presence in foreign markets.
Sectors contributing to export growth also include food, beverages, and tobacco, driven by demand from some of Italy's main trading partners. In particular, sales to Switzerland (+39,4%), China (+36,2%), the United States (+12,1%), France (+7,6%), and OPEC countries (+19,4%) are booming, markets that have also represented strategic outlets for Italian agri-food products for years.
Export trends also confirm greater dynamism in non-European markets, where growth reached 12%, compared to the 5,9% recorded in the European Union. This highlights the growing importance of international destinations for Italian products with higher added value.
On the import front, the 5,5% increase in value was driven primarily by increased purchases of metals and crude oil, while import prices accelerated sharply, rising 4,6% year-over-year. This trend continues to impact production and logistics costs across the entire agri-food supply chain.
Italy's trade balance was also positive, reaching 4,3 billion euros in April, almost doubling compared to the same month in 2025. In the first four months of the year, the overall surplus rose to 15,2 billion euros, compared to 11,3 billion in the same period of the previous year.
According to Istat, in the first four months of 2026, Italian exports grew by 3,2%, outpacing imports (+1,4%). This figure confirms the competitiveness of domestic production on international markets and is also an encouraging sign for the agri-food sector, which is faced with high energy costs and a global economic environment still marked by significant uncertainty.
