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Istat Says 60% of Italy’s Strategic Imports Come From Risky Countries as China’s Share Sets Record

The findings point to resilient US trade in 2025 with rising exposure to geopolitical shocks.

Overview

  • Istat’s competitiveness report, published Monday, found about 60% of Italy’s 2025 strategic imports came from countries with medium or high political risk.
  • China’s share reached 10.3% of total imports, with Istat noting a roughly 60% rise since 2017 in Chinese intermediate inputs used by Italian factories.
  • Pharmaceutical purchases from China jumped from €680 million in 2024 to more than €7.7 billion in 2025, alongside strong gains in vehicles and other transport goods.
  • Most exporters to the United States saw little direct disruption from new tariffs, yet Istat estimates a tariff doubling corresponded to 3.2% lower export growth in 2025.
  • Sales to the United States still grew 7.2% in 2025, but Istat’s simulation shows a full stop would shave about 1.1% from GDP or roughly €20 billion.