USEFUL BUSINESS INFORMATION ON ITALY

1. Country Brief:

A. Introduction - Italy is a true tourists paradise where there are incredible attractions to suit all tastes and interests. Italy attracts hundreds of thousands of travelers each year coming to marvel at the country’s rich heritage and to experience the good life.

Italy is one vast museum for the art lover, offering some of the most fascinating and well-preserved ancient monuments. Italy offers astonishingly varied physical beauty for the outdoor enthusiast from the sunny southern slopes of the Alps, to the lush orange groves of Sicily.

Italy has made dining a sophisticated pleasure, a philosophy and a science since ancient times. Italy has a long tradition of opera, classical and modern music, offering concerts for the music lover.

Italy is famous worldwide for its fashion industry and a dream come true for the shopper. It’s no surprise a country with such proud heritage of artistic design is at the forefront of fashion and style.

Italy is one of the best destinations in the world for the health and wellness devotee to focus on their body and mind. When your body and spirit need to be pampered and recharged, a stay at an Italian Spa is ideal. Most of all Italy is a country of warm and welcoming people.

B. Climate - Italy has a largely temperate climate with regional variations. In summer the Northern parts of Italy are warm with occasional rainfall, the central region is somewhat stifled by humidity and the south scorches under the dry heat. In winter, conditions in Milan, Turin and Venice are dominated by cold, damp and fog and Tuscany's winter temperatures approach freezing, while temperatures in the south of the country are more favourable averaging 50-60ºF (10-20ºC). Most people visit Italy between June and August, however the best time to visit is in Spring (April-May) and Autumn (September-October) when the weather is good and the tourists are few. The sea is warm enough for swimming between June and September. Most Italians take their vacation in August and many shops and restaurants are closed during this period. The ski season runs between December and April and the best time to walk in the Alps is between June and September.

C. Geographical Area - 113,521 sq mi (294,019 sq km); total area: 116,306 sq mi (301,230 sq km)

D. Language - Italian (official); German-, French-, and Slovene-speaking minorities

E. Currency With Exchange Rate – 1.00 ITL (Italy Lire Obsolete) = 0.0007014 USD

1 ITL = 0.000701400 USD   1 USD = 1,425.72 ITL

F. Population - (2006 est.): 58,133,509 (growth rate: 0.0%); birth rate: 8.7/1000; infant mortality rate: 5.8/1000; life expectancy: 79.8; density per sq mi: 512

G. Major Cities - Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Genoa, Bologna, Florence, Bari, Catania, Venice

2. Transportation:

A. Railway - total: 19,319 km (2004)

B. Road - total: 479,688 km; paved: 479,688 km (including 6,621 km of expressways); unpaved: 0 km (1999)

C. Airports - 134 (2004 est.)

D. Waterways - 2,400 km; note: used for commercial traffic; of limited overall value compared to road and rail (2004)

E. Sea ports - Augusta, Genoa, Livorno, Melilli Oil Terminal, Ravenna, Taranto, Trieste, Venice

3. Economy:

A. Major Manufacturing -

B. Major Export - $371.9 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals

C. Major Import -   $369.2 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): engineering products, chemicals, transport equipment, energy products, minerals and nonferrous metals, textiles and clothing; food, beverages, and tobacco

E. Major Industry - Tourism, machinery, iron and steel, chemicals, food processing, textiles, motor vehicles, clothing, footwear, ceramics

F. Trade balance –

4. Trade Associations, Chamber of Commerce, Trade shows and Exhibitions in Italy:

Major Trade Associations

Italian Automobile Association - www.aci.it

Italian Automotive Service Equipment Manufacturers Association - www.asso-aica.it

ACIMGA. Italian Manufacturers' Association of Machinery for the Graphics, Paper and Converting Industry - www.acimga.it

ANFIA - www.anfia.it

Chambers of Commerce 

Association of Italian Chambers of Commerce

www.unioncamere.it

Major Trade Shows

A) EICMA-Motorcycle Exhibition

Start Date: 08-NOV-07

End Date: 11-NOV-07

Venue

Fiera Milano New Exhibition Complex
Milan,
Lombardia Italy

Event Profile:

EICMA-Motorcycle Exhibition features displays of motorcycles, together with appearances by the personalities who ride them and trade stands selling motorcycles and related items.

Organizer:

Fiera Milano International SpA
Piazzale Giulio Cesare,
Milano, Italy.
Tel: +(39)-(2)-49971
Fax: +(39)-(2)-49977963

B) Motor Show-Bologna

Start Date: 07-DEC-07

End Date: 16-DEC-07

Motor Show-Bologna is the flagship event for the Italian motor industry. The show offers a line-up of all new, re-designed or upgraded production models and concept cars from around the world.

Venue:

Bologna Fair Centre,

Bologna, Emilia-Romagna,

Italy

5. Useful Links

Italian Importers, Dealers of Japanese Used Cars, Construction Machinery & Auto Parts