Europe’s fourth-richest country behind Germany, France and the United Kingdom in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the Italian Republic has been a key member of the European Union since January 1, 1958. These essential facts make Italy a valuable consumer market for international sellers of imported goods.

The 100 most valuable consumer products imported into Italy accumulated a subtotal US$181.1 billion worth of spending on international goods in 2020. That consumer-specific dollar amount represents 42.8% of the overall value of all goods imported into Italy. The overall imports amount was $422.6 billion worth of spending.

The 5 most valuable consumer products imported into Italy during 2020 were cars, medications, gold, phones and automobile parts or accessories.

The total dollar amount for the top 100 imported consumer products declined by -7.7% from 2019 to 2020 for the nation nicknamed The Boot reflecting the European nation’s shape on a map. The top 100 consumer metric is less severe than the -11% reduction for all of Italy’s imported goods for the year.

Italy’s demand for imported consumer products dropped at a milder pace than the global average decline of -8.2% from 2019 to 2020 for all importing countries.

Among the top 100 consumer products imported by Italy, 19 increased in total value from 2019 to 2020 whereas 81 declined.

Changes in Italian consumer demand for essential imports offer future opportunities for international suppliers who correctly anticipate which upward or downward trends will continue.

Consumer Products Defined

Economics educator BoyceWire defines a consumer product as a final good or end product that a business creates for consumers to buy. For example, consumers often purchase refined petroleum oil at the gas station while imported crude oil is an intermediate good subject to further processing before being sold to end users.

Although there may be a few wealthy individual buyers, products like turbojets are excluded from the consumer products targeted by this study. That is because turbojets are usually purchased by corporations. In contrast, it is common for a consumer to buy a motorcycle.

Types of Consumer Products

This article focuses on 3 distinct consumer product types.

Convenience Products are easy to access, non-durable, have relatively lower prices and therefore consumers frequently purchase them. Examples of convenience products are food, alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, and soap.

Shopping Products are not as easily available, involve more time to make a buying decision, are durable and are not bought as often as most convenience products. A great example of a shopping product is a mobile phone where buying the wrong model is a much more expensive mistake than buying a disappointing loaf of bread.

Speciality Products describe another consumer product type. This grey area includes infrequently purchased, expensive, durable and sometimes rare items. Consumers may consider the product’s brand image when making their purchase decisions. Some examples of speciality products are gold, silver, diamonds, jewelry, and branded refrigerators and dishwashers.

Italy’s Most Valuable Imported Convenience Products

The list below showcases the most valuable imported convenience products on which buyers in Italy spent the most. Items were selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level and are presented in descending order.

You can also peruse the greatest increases or decreases in product values from 2019 to 2020 by focusing on the percentages displayed to the right of each product name.

Medications: US$18,329,307,000 (up 9.2%)
Processed petroleum oils: $5,122,042,000 (down -39.5%)
Miscellaneous textile items: $3,682,984,000 (up 1,078%)
Swine meat: $2,090,293,000 (down -10.6%)
Cigars/cigarellos, cigarettes: $1,925,477,000 (down -4.6%)
Cheese, curd: $1,875,478,000 (down -9%)
Miscellaneous plastic items: $1,743,755,000 (down -10.5%)
Fresh or chilled beef: $1,706,570,000 (down -10.7%)
Olive oil: $1,519,925,000 (down -3.7%)
Coffee: $1,500,827,000 (down -7.5%)
Miscellaneous nuts: $1,398,519,000 (down -0.7%)
Antibiotics: $1,378,097,000 (down -9.8%)
Fish, caviar (preserved/prepared): $1,319,990,000 (up 8.1%)
Plastic packing goods, lids, caps: $1,287,572,000 (down -9.1%)
Palm oil: $1,246,687,000 (up 20.2%)
Corn: $1,197,357,000 (down -5.1%)
Moluscs: $1,059,282,000 (down -20.3%)
Whole fish (fresh): $1,048,736,000 (down -15.5%)
Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries: $906,291,000 (down -5.7%)
Soya beans: $889,337,000 (up 14.2%)
Other organic cleaning preparations: $866,631,000 (down -1.6%)
Fish fillets, pieces: $841,029,000 (down -7.1%)
Other food preparations: $775,228,000 (up 4.6%)
Sugar (cane or beet): $764,660,000 (up 9.7%)
Unsweetened milk/cream: $678,510,000 (down -17.9%)
Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $662,318,000 (down -44.7%)
Crustaceans (including lobsters): $652,172,000 (down -15.5%)
Chocolate, other cocoa preparations: $616,016,000 (up 0.6%)
Alcohol (including spirits, liqueurs): $604,792,000 (down -14.3%)
Uncoated paper for writing/printing: $566,240,000 (down -17.8%)
Malt beer: $547,494,000 (down -19%)
Bananas, plantains: $541,212,000 (up 4.1%)
Dried or salted fish: $528,348,000 (down -6.2%)
Sun/safflower/cotton-seed oil: $506,195,000 (down -3.9%)
Fresh or dried citrus fruit: $479,699,000 (up 18.6%)
Fuel wood, wood chips, sawdust: $472,427,000 (down -34.2%)
Perfumes, toilet waters: $470,128,000 (down -21.4%)

Convenience products led by the products listed above represent the European country’s second-most popular import product type attracting Italy’s international spending behind shopping products but ahead of speciality goods.

Non-durable consumer products are goods that are not re-used once consumed. Alcoholic beverages and bananas are examples of non-durable goods. Convenience products are uniquely non-durable consumer products.

Italy’s Most Valuable Imported Shopping Products

Below, the list highlights the most valuable imported shopping products on which buyers in Italy spent the greatest amounts. Items were selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level and are presented from highest to lowest total amounts.

The percentages displayed to the right of each product name reveal the highest increases or decreases in Italian spending on that specific type of shopping product from 2019 to 2020.

Cars: US$22,703,002,000 (down -26.4%)
Phones: $8,996,108,000 (down -1.2%)
Automobile parts/accessories: $6,997,621,000 (down -13.9%)
Computers, optical readers: $6,131,140,000 (up 13.9%)
Cases, handbags, wallets: $2,772,248,000 (down -18.4%)
Footwear (leather): $2,531,990,000 (down -13.4%)
Hot-rolled iron/non-alloy steel items: $2,438,111,000 (down -32.2%)
Jerseys, pullovers (knit or crochet): $2,047,218,000 (down -13%)
Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $2,042,807,000 (down -5.9%)
Trucks: $2,037,486,000 (down -36.1%)
Rubber tires (new): $2,015,758,000 (down -15.9%)
Insulated wire/cable: $1,893,579,000 (down -7.6%)
Electrical converters/power units: $1,822,587,000 (down -1.3%)
Tractors: $1,821,026,000 (down -0.2%)
Printing machinery: $1,711,885,000 (down -17.1%)
Women’s clothing (not knit/crochet): $1,646,925,000 (down -15.6%)
Orthopedic appliances: $1,557,128,000 (down -20.8%)
T-shirts, vests (knit or crochet): $1,450,817,000 (down -18.9%)
Footwear (textile): $1,419,029,000 (down -8.1%)
Men’s suits (unknit/non-crochet): $1,411,306,000 (down -19.8%)
Miscellaneous furniture: $1,131,361,000 (down -11.3%)
Motorcycles: $1,074,471,000 (down -5.3%)
Footwear (rubber or plastic): $1,043,708,000 (down -13.2%)
Packaged insecticides, herbicides: $1,016,447,000 (up 16.2%)
Models, puzzles, miscellaneous toys: $999,576,000 (down -15.5%)
Seats (not barber/dentist chairs): $999,078,000 (down -8.6%)
Felt or other non-woven garments: $946,532,000 (up 186.1%)
Miscellaneous iron or steel items: $939,202,000 (down -9.7%)
Motorcycle parts/accessories: $885,361,000 (down -2.9%)
Screws, bolts, washers, hooks, pins: $876,497,000 (down -7.7%)
Women’s coats (unknit/non-crochet): $875,709,000 (down -16.4%)
Men’s coats (unknit/non-crochet): $859,545,000 (down -16.3%)
Insoles, heel cushions: $825,821,000 (down -17%)
Women’s clothing (knit or crochet): $778,080,000 (down -10%)
Unrecorded sound media: $748,299,000 (down -7.3%)
Glass bottles, other containers: $610,155,000 (up 4.1%)
Computer parts, accessories: $588,563,000 (down -10.3%)
Microphones/headphones/amplifiers: $578,569,000 (down -0.8%)
Vulcanized rubber items: $554,228,000 (down -4.9%)
Sports equipment: $538,304,000 (down -14.2%)
Other pharmaceutical preparations: $482,595,000 (down -4%)
Trailers: $471,174,000 (down -28.7%)
Wrist/pocket watches (regular case): $465,717,000 (down -34.8%)
Paper containers, cellulose wadding: $443,841,000 (down -38.4%)

Focusing on the scope of this analysis, shopping products is Italy’s most popular category ahead of both convenience products and speciality items.

Shopping products exceeded two-fifths (44) of the overall top 100 Italian imported consumer goods.

Durable consumer products are goods like cars, refrigerators and furniture that last a relatively long time. Consumers can put durable products to use again and again. Note that shopping products and speciality products are considered as durable consumer products.

Italy’s Most Valuable Imported Speciality Products

Speciality products represent the category with the fewest entries among Italy’s imports that attracted the country’s spending on imported consumer goods during 2020.

Selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level, the most valuable speciality items are listed in descending order below.

The percentage to the right of each product name reveal highest increases or decreases in 2020 compared to 2019.

Gold (unwrought): US$9,712,628,000 (up 86.4%)
Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $1,799,441,000 (up 4.6%)
Liquid pumps: $1,647,455,000 (down -7%)
Air conditioners: $1,476,425,000 (down -8.9%)
Electric storage batteries: $1,304,702,000 (up 29.2%)
Jewelry: $1,173,289,000 (down -38.3%)
Refrigerators, freezers: $1,111,406,000 (down -8.7%)
Beauty/makeup/skin care: $1,004,423,000 (down -14.2%)
Temperature-change machines: $827,621,000 (down -0.3%)
Dishwashing, clean/dry/fill machines: $804,196,000 (down -2.5%)
Interchangeable hand/machine tools: $503,326,000 (down -14.3%)
Spectacles, goggles: $494,884,000 (down -21.6%)
Spectacle/goggle frames, mountings: $493,860,000 (down -25.7%)
Bovine raw hides and skins: $482,722,000 (down -27.5%)
Vacuum cleaners: $482,265,000 (down -5%)
Electromechanic appliances: $456,428,000 (up 14.7%)
Washing machines: $453,910,000 (down -0.4%)
Silver (unwrought): $442,866,000 (up 6.8%)
Diamonds (unmounted/unset): $436,464,000 (down -39.3%)

Like shopping products, speciality products are considered as durable consumer products.

Based on the product types identified in the sections above, 73 of Italy’s 100 highest-value consumer shopper plus speciality products are durable while the remaining 37 convenience products are classified as non-durable.

Italy’s Overall Fastest-Growing Consumer Imports

Listed below are the top 10 consumer products imported into Italy that experienced the highest percentage increases in spending from 2019 to 2020.

Miscellaneous textile items: Up 1,078% ($3.7 billion)
Felt or other non-woven garments: Up 186.1% ($946.5 million)
Gold: Up 86.4% ($9.7 billion)
Electric storage batteries: Up 29.2% ($1.3 billion)
Palm oil: Up 20.2% ($1.2 billion)
Fresh or dried citrus fruit: Up 18.6% ($479.7 million)
Packaged insecticides, herbicides: Up 16.2% ($1 billion)
Electromechanic appliances: Up 14.7% ($456.4 million)
Soya beans: Up 14.2% ($889.3 million)
Computers including optical readers: Up 13.9% ($6.1 billion)

Among the above top 10 gainers, 7 qualify as durable goods that consumers can re-use over time. Four of those durable items are shopping products including miscellaneous textile items, felt or other non-woven garments, packaged insecticides or herbicides, and computers including optical readers. The fastest-growing specialty product are gold, electric storage batteries and electromechanic appliances all of which also satisfy the technical definition for durable goods.

The fastest-growing convenience products are palm oil, fresh or dried citrus fruits, and soya beans. Consumers consider these items as non-durable products, commonly referred to as disposable goods that normally are used only once.

Italy’s Overall Worst-Declining Consumer Imports

Spending by buyers in Italy on the following 10 items decreased in value at the severest rate from 2019 to 2020.

Coal, solid fuels made from coal: Down -44.7% ($662.3 million)
Processed petroleum oils: Down -39.5% ($5.1 billion)
Diamonds (unmounted/unset): Down -39.3% ($436.5 million)
Paper containers, cellulose wadding: Down -38.4% ($443.8 million)
Jewelry: Down -38.3% ($1.2 billion)
Trucks: Down -36.1% ($2 billion)
Wrist or pocket watches with regular case: Down -34.8% ($465.7 million)
Fuel wood, wood chips, sawdust: Down -34.2% ($472.4 million)
Items made from hot-rolled iron or non-alloy steel: Down -32.2% ($2.4 billion)
Trailers: Down -28.7% ($471.2 million)

Three among Italy’s top 10 declining imports are non-durable convenience products consumed one time. These are the fuel items coal including solid fuels made from coal, processed petroleum oils as well as fuel wood, wood chips and sawdust.

Five among the remaining major import decliners are shopping products that normally require more time for consumers to make buying decisions. Purchases under the shopping products category are more likely to be deferred than convenience products. Examples of these shopping goods range from wrist or pocket watches with a regular case to trailers.

The 2 speciality products among Italy’s severest decliners were diamonds and jewelry.

Key Suppliers by Country

This analysis reveals competitive suppliers that target demand for Italy’s top 5 consumer import products.

For Italy, the biggest imported consumer product by value is cars. The 4 other leading consumer products imported into Italy are medications, refined petroleum oils, phones including smartphones, and automobile parts or accessories.

Below, you will find major supplying countries for Italy’s imported:

Cars: Germany (33.6% of total), Spain (14.2%), France (8.3%), Belgium (5.2%), Turkey (5.2%), Czech Republic (4.5%), Romania (4.3%), Slovakia (3.6%), United Kingdom (3.6%), and Japan (3.1%).

Medications: Belgium (17.6% of total), Germany (17.1%), France (17.1%), Ireland (11.4%), Netherlands (8.92%), Switzerland (6.9%), United States (4.8%), Spain (3%), United Kingdom (2%), and Japan (1.9%).

Gold: United Arab Emirates (47.9% of total), Switzerland (12.2%), Colombia (7.2%), France (5.1%), Spain (4.4%), Brazil (4.3%), United States (4.2%), South Africa (4.1%), United Kingdom (2.3%), and Germany (1.3%).

Phones: China (31.9% of total), Netherlands (17.5%), Vietnam (11.5%), Germany (9.1%), Romania (5.1%), Ireland (3.9%), Czech Republic (2.6%), Sweden (1.9%), United Kingdom (1.9%), and France (1.9%).

Automobile parts or accessories: Germany (30.1% of total), France (13.4%), Poland (9.6%), China (6.3%), United States (5%), Spain (4.6%), Turkey (4.2%), United Kingdom (3.0%), Hungary (2.4%), and Czech Republic (2%).

References

Independent insights and analysis presented in this article are based on researched facts and statistics sourced from the following educational portals.

BoyceWire, Consumer Goods Definition.

Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook: Italy Economy.

International Trade Centre, Trade Map.

Investopedia, Consumer Goods, Consumer Staples Definition, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).

Richest Country Reports, Top 100 Richest Countries by GDP.

Trading Economics, Italy Consumer Spending.

Wikipedia, List of largest consumer markets.

World’s Top Exports, Italy’s Top 10 Imports.