Italy Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in italy, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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U.S. firms enjoy opportunities in sectors where new regulations or programs (often imposed or initiated at the EU level) are creating demand, as well as where U.S. products offer clear technological, design, or price advantages; or are new products/services with little or no domestic competition. Best prospects for U.S. exports to Italy include advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, cybersecurity, defense, design and construction, digital economy, medical devices and technology, and energy.

The agricultural sector makes up a significant portion of U.S.-Italy trade. In 2024, U.S. agricultural exports to Italy were $1.7 billion and U.S. imports from Italy were $8.9 billion. Being a net agricultural importer, most raw materials and ingredients are imported, as Italy’s economic strength is in the processing and the manufacturing of goods, primarily in family-owned SMEs. Italy exports mainly consumer products to the United States, while the United States exports mostly bulk commodities to Italy. 

Italy’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure plans to invest $237 billion (204 billion euros) by 2025 to modernize the country’s infrastructure network as part of its effort to kick-start the economy. Railways, roadways, ports, airports, and other public infrastructure are to be modernized, upgraded, or newly built, with a focus on energy-efficient mobility, intermodality, and linking air and maritime transport.  This includes $15.7 billion (13.5 billion euros) to build the world’s largest single-span suspension bridge between the island of Sicily and the Italian mainland. Italy also announced measures to streamline public procurement to speed up government spending.

Italy hosts major trade shows that attract buyers from throughout Europe and beyond. The U.S. Commercial Service offers on-site support for U.S. exporters at most of the major international shows, or by request. The U.S. Department of Commerce actively promotes investment in the United States through the SelectUSA program. In Italy, Commerce has extensively facilitated opportunities to invest in the United States to Italian businesses, trade associations and multipliers. 

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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