Italian trade surplus increased to €2.5 billion in August 2016 compared with a surplus of €1.8 billion in the same month of 2015.
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Exports went up 11.4%, driven by higher sales of motor vehicles and electrical equipment. Imports rose 9.4%, led by purchases of vehicles; machinery and equipment and chemical and pharmaceutical products.
With European Union countries, Italy registered a trade surplus of €0.39 billion, compared with a surplus of €0.46 billion euros in August 2015.
Year-on-year, exports jumped 11.4% to €27.1 billion, the strongest growth since October 2012. Sales rose for motor vehicles (+67.6%); electrical equipment (+20.1%); base metals (+19.2%); textiles (+14.2%).
In contrast, sales fell for coke and refined petroleum products by 11.4%. By main industrial groups, sales rose for: intermediate goods (+13.7%); capital goods (+16.5%); consumer goods (+8.2%) while fell for energy (-14.4%).
The biggest increases in shipments were reported for China (+28.2%); Japan (+24.3%); the United States (+17.8%); Czech Republic (+21.7%); the United Kingdom (+15.6%); Germany (+15.5%) and France (+8%).
Imports went up 9.4% to €24.6 billion, the most since June last year. The growth was led by increases in purchases of motor vehicles (+51.6%); machinery and equipment (+22.1%) and chemical and pharmaceutical products (+20.5%).
In contrast, imports fell for natural gas (-27.4%) and coke and refined petroleum products (-33.3%). By main industrial groups, imports increased for: intermediate goods (+10.9%); capital goods (+24.7%); consumer goods (+10.8%) while fell for energy (-16.3%).
The growth in imports mainly reflected the increases in purchases from Germany (+19.5%); Spain (+14.7%); the United Kingdom (+20.3%); Czech Republic (+32.9%); Belgium (+19.9%); Japan (+28.1%) and the United States (+24.9%). ■
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