Spotlight on Italy
By Carol Webster, Cassel International
When I think of Italy, I think of the wonderful sights and sounds of Rome, Venice, Milan, Florence and the many other small towns I’ve been fortunate to visit. For hundreds of years, Italy has been engaged in international trade; from his travels in the Far East, Marco Polo introduced the country to spaghetti, silk and many other goods. Since World War II, Italy has developed into the world’s sixth-largest market economy, and belongs to the Group of Eight (G-8) industrialized nations.
Today, Italy continues to engage in import/export, with the U.S. being one of its top three trading partners. With a population of more than 58 million, relatively low inflation rates, and a stable if not spectacular GDP growth rate, opportunities exist in many manufacturing and service sectors.
For more information, access the U.S. Commercial Service Buy USA website on “Doing Business with Italy” (be sure to check out their recommendations for the best market prospects). And globalEDGE™ also offers an excellent overview on Italy.