With a high level of freedom in trade, business and investment, Italy is a first class exporter of goods. Despite facing problems such as slow growth, in comparison to many nations in recent years, it has managed to maintain its lead in most of the sectors that it is involved within.
Although Italy doesn’t have the natural resources or cheap labor force to make it a natural manufacturing center, it’s exports have performed well and is well-known globally for their quality.
Italy is best known for engineering, cars and fashion. At the same time, it’s name is also commonly associated with industries such as wine, ceramics and chemicals too.
Of course, fashion is the first thing that comes to mind for most people when they think of Italian products. The fashion industry there first shone during the Renascence and, since then, a long line of designers have helped bring Italian fashion to the center of the world’s stage.
With its brands known around the world, Italian clothing is familiar to anyone with any interest in fashion. Whilst it has the image of catering to the luxury market, its real success is based upon the production of casual and designer wear at affordable prices and to high quality standards.
As well as clothing, Italian fashion is also very popular in fields such as handbags, shoes, jewelry and eyewear. Often customized and hand-made, the quality is second to none. A very highly developed retail distribution network for these products also aids in their popularity.
Italy’s automotive industry is one of its major success stories. A mention of Italian mobiles brings to mind illustrious names such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Lancia.
These names are a testimony to the diversity in the range and variety of automobiles produced by Italian companies. Though their lower priced cars have struggled to compete with those being manufactured in emerging nations, sales of their higher priced ones have remained stable, and are expected to rise, not fall, in the future.
Engineering is also an important part of Italian industry. Italy leads in various fields involving the manufacture of complex machines and their parts. As well as cars, they also mass export tools, motorcycles and electric goods. With attention to detail and quality, these Italian products have remained competitive internationally.
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‘Italian Manufacturing‘ offers a wealth of information about Italian products and industry as well as Italian fashion.