That dollar amount results from a 35.3% increase compared to $498.8 billion five years earlier during 2020.
Year over year, the overall value of goods exported from Italy flatlined thanks to a -0.3% slowdown from $677.1 billion in 2023.
The 5 most valuable exports from Italy are medication mixes in dosage, processed petroleum oils, cars, jewelry, then automobile parts or accessories. Combined, that quintet of leading Italian exports represents 15.4% of overall exports from Italy in 2024. That subset of major exports suggests Italy’s relatively diversified range of exported products.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2024, Italy uses the euro which slowed to a 0.02% gain against the US dollar from 2023 to 2024. The slightly stronger European Union currency made Italy’s exports paid for in weaker US dollars modestly more expensive for international buyers starting from US currency.
Major Buyer Countries Importing from Italy
The latest available country-specific data shows that 63.2% of products exported from Italy was bought by importers in: Germany (11.4% of the Italian total), United States of America (10.4%), France (10%), Spain (5.5%), Switzerland (4.8%), United Kingdom (4.4%), Poland (3.2%), Belgium (3.1%), Netherlands (also 3.1%), Türkiye (2.8%), mainland China (2.5%) and Austria (2%).
From a continental perspective, 64.2% of Italy’s exports by value was delivered to fellow European countries while 16.4% was sold to importers in Asia. Italy shipped another 12.7% worth of goods to buyers in North America.
Smaller percentages went to customers in Africa (3.3%), Latin America (2.3%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (1.1%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given Italy’s population of 59 million people, its total $674.9 billion in 2024 exports translates to roughly $11,450 for every resident in the south European nation. That dollar metric lags the average $11,500 per capita in 2023.
Italy’s Top 10 Exports
The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Italian global shipments during 2024. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Italy.
- Machinery including computers: US$116 billion (17.2% of total exports)
- Pharmaceuticals: $55.5 billion (8.2%)
- Vehicles: $47 billion (7%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $45.8 billion (6.8%)
- Gems, precious metals: $25.7 billion (3.8%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $24.3 billion (3.6%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $21.4 billion (3.2%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $19.4 billion (2.9%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $17.4 billion (2.6%)
- Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $16.4 billion (2.4%)
Italy’s top 10 export product categories generated 57.6% of the overall value of total Italian shipments.
Gems and precious metals represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 27.1% from 2023 to 2024.
In second place for improving export sales was pharmaceuticals via a 10.4% advance.
Italy’s shipments of electrical machinery and equipment posted the third-fastest gain in value, up by 3.4%.
The leading decliner among Italy’s top 10 export categories was mineral fuels including oil, pulled down by an -18.4% year-over-year drop
Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. For a more granular view of exported goods at the four-digit HTS code level, peruse the section below.
Searchable List of Italy’s Most Valuable Export Products
The following searchable table displays 100 of the most in-demand goods shipped from Italy during 2024. Shown beside each product label is its total export value then the percentage increase or decrease since 2023.
These 100 exported goods were worth a subtotal of US$428.7 billion or almost two-thirds (63.5%) of the value of all products exported from Italy during 2024.
Products Generating Best Trade Surpluses for Italy
Italy recorded an overall US$59.3 billion trade surplus in 2024, expanding from $37.2 billion in black ink one year earlier in 2023.
The following types of Italian product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. In a nutshell, net exports reflect the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Machinery including computers: US$60.6 billion (Up by 4% since 2023)
- Pharmaceuticals: $22.5 billion (Up by 28.1%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $12.6 billion (Down by -9.8%)
- Beverages, spirits, vinegar: $10.6 billion (Up by 6.5%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: $10.5 billion (Down by -4%)
- Leather/animal gut articles: $7.7 billion (Down by -7.7%)
- Cereal/milk preparations: $7.5 billion (Up by 14%)
- Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $7.1 billion (Up by 8.4%)
- Ships, boats: $6.3 billion (Down by -25.4%)
- Gems, precious metals: $5.7 billion (Up by 79.4%)
Italy has highly positive net exports in the international trade of machinery–a product category that includes computers. In turn, these cashflows indicate Italy’s strong competitive advantages in producing machinery for international markets.
Products Causing Worst Trade Deficits for Italy
Below are exports from Italy that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Italy’s goods trail Italian importer spending on foreign products.
- Mineral fuels including oil: -US$53.7 billion (Down by -23% since 2023)
- Organic chemicals: -$22.5 billion (Up by 25.8%)
- Vehicles: -$12.6 billion (Up by 63.3%)
- Iron, steel: -$7.8 billion (Down by -5.8%)
- Fish: -$5.8 billion (Up by 2.6%)
- Copper: -$4.4 billion (Up by 0.6%)
- Cereals: -$4 billion (Down by -11.5%)
- Meat: -$3.82 billion (Down by -5.3%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: -$3.78 billion (Down by -65.7%)
- Wood: -$3.2 billion (Down by -10.9%)
Italy has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits for mineral fuels-related products historically crude oil, petroleum gas, electrical energy, coal and peat.
These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate Italy’s competitive disadvantages in the international energy market, but also represent key opportunities for Italy to improve its position in the global economy through focused innovations especially in cleaner alternative energy sources.
Major Italian Export Companies
Thirty corporations rank among Forbes Global 2000. Below is a sample of the major Italian companies that Forbes included.
- Eni (oil, gas)
- Finmeccanica (aerospace)
- Parmalat (food processing)
- Pirelli & C (automotive parts)
- Prada (clothing, accessories)
- Prysmian (electrical equipment)
- Saras (oil, gas)
- Telecom Italia (telecommunications services)
According to global trade intelligence firm Zepol, the following smaller companies are also examples of Italian exporters.
- Acciaierie Valbruna (stainless steel bars, rods, doors, window frames)
- Chateau D AX (wood seats, chemicals)
- Emilceramica (ceramic tiles, building tiles)
In macroeconomic terms, Italy’s total exported goods represent 18.8% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2024 ($3.598 trillion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 18.8% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2024 compares to 21.2% one year earlier. Those percentages suggest a relatively decreasing reliance on products sold on international markets for Italy’s total economic performance, albeit based on a short timeframe.
Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. Italy’s average unemployment rate was 7% in 2024, down from an average 7.683% for 2023 according to International Monetary Fund statistics.
Italy’s capital city is Rome.
See also Italy’s Top Trading Partners, Italy’s Top 10 Major Export Companies and Italy’s Top 10 Imports
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on April 8, 2025
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on April 8, 2025
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on April 8, 2025
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on April 8, 2025
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on April 8, 2025
Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on April 8, 2025
Wikipedia, List of Companies of Italy. Accessed on April 8, 2025
Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on April 8, 2025
X-rates.com, Exchange Rates: Euro to US Dollar (monthly average 2024). Accessed on April 8, 2025
Zepol’s company summary highlights by country. Accessed on April 8, 2025