The first data analyzed by research centers are revealing. A focus on this topic at Green Logistics Expo.
Just over a year has passed since the inauguration, on January 20, 2025, of President Donald Trump. The shift in international relations and U.S. policy has been unprecedented, symbolized in particular by the assertive—one might say “muscular”—use of tariffs. But what has really happened in recent months? Analyses by the leading research centers of logistics sector associations are closely monitoring the situation.
Uncertainty linked to the tariff policies of the Trump administration has clearly affected trade. However, as highlighted for example by Fedespedi, in the first ten months of 2025 Italian exports to the United States grew by 9.1% in value, and the U.S. market now accounts for 11.9% of total Italian exports. Italian exports to the United States show diverging trends across key sectors: particularly notable is the pharmaceutical sector, which recorded a boom of +62.7% and now represents 22.8% of exports to the U.S. Automotive exports declined as expected, with vehicle exports down 20.6%, while food products held relatively steady at -1.3%, with the exception of wine, which fell by 7.5%. A strong increase was recorded in an important but niche sector such as shipbuilding, which grew by nearly 200%.
Overall, the picture is mixed: some sectors are thriving while others face difficulties, but the feared generalized collapse in exports has not materialized—although attention to developments in this crucial market for Italy remains high. Port performance is also mixed: Italian ports handled 9.35 million TEUs, an overall increase of 8.3% compared with 2024, though results were unevenly distributed among them.
For all operators, the key question is how to address the uncertainty and risks of a situation shaped by new geopolitical trends and difficult-to-measure risks. An interesting perspective is offered by Confetra, which highlights findings from a study by UNCTAD, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. A recent report shows that since the 1990s Italy has been the country with the lowest level of export product concentration in the world. In other words, no economy exports such a wide range of different products with equal success. UNCTAD also emphasizes the strong adaptability of Italian companies to changing market conditions—a cultural and structural feature of the country’s SMEs—which can be a key driver of success today, provided they are able to cooperate and work together.
On these topics, Green Logistics Expo—together with Italy’s leading research centers—will provide analysis and reflection based on data, outlining possible scenarios and useful strategies.
According to the President of Confetra, Carlo De Ruvo, any analysis of the effects of tariffs must consider all components. “According to a recent UNCTAD study,” he explains, “since the 1990s Italy has been the country with the lowest concentration of exported products in the world. I read this with great pride and renewed enthusiasm. Our SMEs operate across many sectors and command respect in international markets. No other economy exports such a wide range of products with equal success. UNCTAD also reminds us that Italy’s strength lies in its ability to compete in around 3,000 global niche markets thanks to the dynamism and entrepreneurial spirit of a vast number of SMEs. These data show the remarkable adaptability of our companies, which should inspire optimism as we look to the future.”
