Rome
Italy’s exporters have recovered to pre-pandemic levels, according to two reports jointly released on Saturday by the country’s National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) and the Italian Trade Agency (ICE).
According to the 35th edition of the “Italy in the International Economy” report and the “Yearbook of Foreign Trade and International Business Activities,” the recovery of Italy’s exports is due in large part to strong economic performances from the start of this year.
The reports were formally presented to Minister of Foreign Affairs Luigi Di Maio on Friday by ISTAT President Gian Carlo Blangiardo and his counterpart at the ICE, Carlo Ferro.
The “Italy in the International Economy” report showed that in the first quarter of this year, the volume of the country’s exports was 19.8 percent higher than in the same three-month period of 2020 — which included the very start of Italy’s coronavirus lockdown in March — and 4.2 percent higher than in 2019, the year before the pandemic struck.—Xinhua
