ROME, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Italian exports to countries and regions beyond the European Union surged by 7.5 percent in March year-on-year, the month before the United States announced its new sweeping tariffs against Europe.
Italy's National Statistics Institute (ISTAT) reported on Friday that exports increased by 2.9 percent in March compared to the previous month, and were up 7.5 percent year-on-year.
A key driver of this growth was a significant rise in exports to the United States, which jumped 41 percent in March. This surge occurred prior to the U.S. unveiling plans for a 25 percent tariff on vehicles, steel, and aluminum, as well as a 10 percent duty on various other EU products.
Despite the strength in exports, Italy's imports declined overall during the same period. However, there were notable increases in specific regions, including a 71 percent rise in imports from Mercosur countries and a 45 percent increase in imports from China.
As a result, Italy recorded a trade surplus of 5.96 billion euros (6.75 billion U.S. dollars) with non-EU countries in March, up from 5.77 billion euros in the same month last year. (1 euro = 1.13 U.S. dollars) ■
