Italian Textile Exports Decline While Imports Surge

Italian textiles and clothing exports experienced a notable slowdown in the first seven months of 2025. According to an in-depth analysis conducted by Confindustria Moda's research department, leveraging data from Istat, Movimprese, and internal surveys, cross-border sales for the period between January and July amounted to 21.7 billion euros. This figure represents a 2.5 per cent contraction when compared to the export performance during the initial seven months of 2024.

The geographical distribution of these exports showed a near-even split between EU and non-EU markets. Trade within the European Union constituted the larger share, accounting for 51.5 per cent of the total, or 11.19 billion euros. Meanwhile, sales to non-EU countries made up the remaining 48.5 per cent, reaching 10.55 billion euros. France stood out as the leading export destination, with Italian textile and clothing products generating 2.79 billion euros, which represents 12.8 per cent of total exports. Germany was the second-largest market, importing 2.16 billion euros (9.9 per cent), followed by the United States at 1.75 billion euros (8 per cent). Notably, the United States market demonstrated a positive trend, recording a 4.4 per cent increase in sales compared to the first seven months of 2024.

In contrast to the export figures, Italy's imports of textiles and clothing experienced growth during the same period, reaching a total of 15.5 billion euros, marking a 4.9 per cent increase. China maintained its position as Italy's primary source for textile and clothing imports, with a substantial rise of 17.9 per cent over the period, contributing 2.63 billion euros to the total. Other significant import partners included Spain, which supplied 1.45 billion euros worth of goods, France at 1.07 billion euros, and Bangladesh, accounting for 1.04 billion euros in imports.