The Italian Food&Beverage export keeps breaking records and continues its upward trajectory: after the historic high of 2024 with a +9% growth and over 58 billion euros, in the first half of 2025 foreign sales of processed food products marked a further +6% increase, as revealed by the Nomisma Observatory for Italia del Gusto presented at the IDG Export Meeting in Pisa. This positive figure, however, conceals a more fragile trade geography, impacted by protectionist tariffs and fluctuations in raw materials, calling for diversification strategies to sustain the competitiveness of Made in Italy. Driving the results has been primarily the price effect: in 2024 olive oil saw a +43% boom in value against a more modest +6% in volume, a pattern that in the first half of 2025 affected coffee and chocolate with respective +73% and +27% increases in commodities. Volumes grew for dairy products, baked goods, and mineral waters, while wine, vinegars, and spirits recorded declines.
“The global scenario highlights disruptions in food product exchanges, mainly due to the impacts of the US administration’s trade policy, with effects extending beyond direct trade to the United States and affecting other outlets for our Food&Beverage”, stated Denis Pantini, Head of Agrifood at Nomisma. Developing new markets through diversification thus becomes a priority in this new geopolitical context, to be pursued also via institutional support such as new free trade agreements and promotional and commercial synergies among businesses. Among key markets, the US saw a +12% rise in F&B imports in the semester, with Italy as the third supplier at 6% share, but after a pre-tariff stockpiling in the first quarter (+14%), various segments slowed in the second (wine from +17% to -10%, cheeses from +18% to -41%). Spain remains one of Europe’s most dynamic markets with +13% purchases of Italian products in the semester, strong growth for cheeses (+65%) and bakery (+55%), while Poland, the third EU outlet for Italy, marked +16% with excellent performances in chocolate, bakery, and cheeses. On the raw materials front, cocoa and coffee remain at historic highs, while cereals and vegetable oils show declines; Nomisma simulations indicate that 15% tariffs in the US would particularly penalize supply chains like wine, pasta, and dairy. “The data confirm the resilience of our export, but also the need for common strategies: without more open markets and without strong institutional and associative leadership, Italy risks losing shares in key segments”, emphasized Alberto Volpe, General Director of Italia del Gusto. “The strength of Italian export lies in combining quality and diversification.
But in the new global scenario, competitiveness will increasingly depend on common strategies and constant market oversight”, concluded Pantini. Founded on September 19, 2006, Italia del Gusto is the first private consortium of Italian companies operating in the food and wine sector, with members selected for superior product quality, brand importance, and product exclusivity; it now represents 30 associated companies and 37 brands, with an aggregate turnover of 25 billion euros and 55,000 employees. The Consortium’s mission is to help member companies improve their competitive position in international markets through joint commercial development activities, marketing, promotion, communication, public relations, participation in international trade fairs, and support in creating partnerships and commercial and logistical synergies among members, positioning itself as an accelerator for these synergies to strengthen the competitiveness of Italian Food&Beverage worldwide.
