In an increasingly competitive geopolitical and economic environment, the Italian government is raising the level of strategic action to support companies on their path to international growth. With the Action Plan for accelerating exports to high-potential extra-EU markets, the Farnesina is leading an organic and concrete move to strengthen the projection of Made in Italy in the world.
A country system at the service of enterprises
The new initiative is not just a declaration of intent. It is an operating model based on the synergy between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ICE, SACE, Simest and CDP, to which are added the Italian diplomatic missions abroad. The objective: to open new trade routes and consolidate Italy’s presence in strategic markets outside the European Union.
The numbers, moreover, speak for themselves. In 2024 Italian exports recorded exceptional performance:
+27.9% towards Saudi Arabia,
+23.9% in Turkey,
+19.4% in the United Arab Emirates,
+13.4% in the Western Balkans,
+10.3% in ASEAN countries,
more than 20 billion euros in Africa.
These data not only testify to the vitality of our companies, but also to the need to accompany and strengthen this momentum with appropriate, modern tools calibrated on the real needs of the Italian productive fabric.
The strategic levers of the Plan
The Plan includes a range of instruments, from coordinated institutional and entrepreneurial missions to strengthening the exhibition presence in target markets, agreements with international distribution chains and marketplaces, targeted financial incentives and support. Distinctive element is the “diplomacy of growth”, a new vision of diplomatic action that puts the Embassies at the center of an information and operational system at the service of the company. Each diplomatic mission in the target countries has developed a practical guide with sectoral, regulatory and logistical information to orient Italian companies in foreign markets.
A new culture of internationalization
The Action Plan for Export should be interpreted as an invitation to Italian companies – especially SMEs – to embrace a global vision with determination, without sacrificing the quality, innovation and identity that make Made in Italy unique.
Those who wish to take advantage of these opportunities can already get active by writing to export@esteri.it, getting personalized and coordinated answers from a pool of experts from ministries and the main Italian agencies for internationalization.
The true value of this plan is not only in numbers or tools, but in the strategic vision it proposes: make system, direct public and private energies towards common goals, build solid and structured relationships with markets today often undervalued.
Exports are not just an economic indicator: they are the measure of a country’s ability to tell its story, innovate and be chosen. And today, more than ever, the world wants Italy.