Recent trends in agri-food Made in Italy exports

Abstract

Abstract The agri-food sector is a key component of the Italian economy and the Made in Italy products are altogether the core of it with a strong export propensity. This paper analyses the recent export performance of the Made in Italy as a whole and at product level. The analysis is based on the conjoint measure of export specialization (RCA) and sophistication (Prody). Results show that the Made in Italy aggregate is performing well but, at the same time, which single products face significant difficulties. On the one hand, this is the case for those items for which Italy is improving its specialization, but international competition is increasingly based on price, thus reducing profitability (e. g. prepared vegetables, chocolate products, blue cheeses). On the other hand, there are products whose sophistication is growing, and remuneration perspectives rise with it, but for which Italy is eroding its comparative advantage (e. g. ice creams, pasta, grape and wine > 2lt).

Keywords

• Export specialization
• Trade sophistication
• Prody index
• Italy
• Agri-food trade