The most valuable Italian imports also include smartphones, computers, auto parts or accessories, refined copper and gold.
The following list shows on which products Italian importers spent the most money. Unlike most information currently available on the web, the items below are detailed at the 4-digit tariff code level.
This level of granularity can help entrepreneurs identify more precisely which products in which the Italy has strong demand but competitive disadvantages compared with other nations — and therefore opportunities for innovation.
For the most recent four-digit HTS code data, please see the link to Italy’s Top 10 Imports article in the See also paragraph above Research Sources below.
Highest Value Italian Import Products
Below are the 20 highest value import products delivered to Italian importers in 2017. Shown within brackets is the increase in value since 2013.
- Cars: US$31.1 billion (Up 53.9% from 2013 to 2017)
- Crude oil: $26.1 billion (Down -43.8%)
- Petroleum gases: $15.6 billion (Down -46.3%)
- Medication mixes in dosage: $15.1 billion (Down -2.9%)
- Phone system devices including smartphones: $8.5 billion (Up 10.4%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $8.5 billion (Up 29.5%)
- Processed petroleum oils: $7.7 billion (Down -44.6%)
- Blood fractions (including antisera): $7 billion (Up 59.5%)
- Computers, optical readers: $5 billion (Down -12.2%)
- Refined copper, unwrought alloys: $4 billion (Down -6.1%)
- Gold (unwrought): $3.6 billion (Down -35.8%)
- Hot-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products: $3.4 billion (Up 15.7%)
- Trucks: $3.3 billion (Up 77.7%)
- Electro-medical equip (e.g. xrays): $3.2 billion (Up 5.8%)
- Cases, handbags, wallets: $2.9 billion (Up 16.9%)
- Heterocyclics, nucleic acids: $2.9 billion (Down -45.5%)
- Aluminum (unwrought): $2.8 billion (Up 24.7%)
- Footwear (leather): $2.7 billion (Down -16.3%)
- Flat-rolled stainless steel items: $2.7 billion (Up 19.5%)
- Ethylene polymers: $2.7 billion (Down -7.9%)
Among these product categories, Italy’s imports of trucks posted the greatest increase up 77.7% over the 5-year period starting in 2013.
In second place were imported blood fractions including antisera which improved 59.5%.
Italian imported cars showed a respectable 53.9% gain trailed by imports of auto parts or accessories which went up 29.5%.
Imported petroleum gases didn’t fare as well, down -46.3% in value from 2013 to 2017.
See also Italy’s Top Trading Partners, Italy’s Top 10 Imports, Top EU Export Countries, Italy’s Top 10 Major Export Companies and Italy’s Top 10 Exports
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on March 22, 2018
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Imports and World Population, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on March 22, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on March 22, 2018