Fall in Italy’s fresh produce exports and imports 

According to data published by Fruitimprese, relating to the first 9 months of 2018, the country’s fruit and vegetable exports fell 12.2% in volumes and 3.5% in value compared to the same period last year. Moreover, fruit and vegetable imports were also down, by 1% in volumes and 1.6% in value. Although fresh produce exports continued to outweigh imports – by €522 million, the balance down 12.5% from September 2017. In the first 9 months of 2018, Italy exported 2.6 million tons of fruit, worth €3.3 billion. Fresh fruit exports dropped 6.9%, while legumes and vegetable fell 1%. Only citrus fruit increased in value (+15.9%) and volumes (11.7%). Meanwhile, Italy imported 2.6 million tons of fresh produce (-1%), worth €2.7 billion (-1.6%).