Recent trends in the geographical distribution of Italy’s foreign trade

Abstract

In the present survey, the author sets forth and comments on the figures and respective index-numbers relating to Italian foreign trade from 1938 down to the end of 1949. Special attention is called to the distribution of imports and exports by monetary areas and political zones, and in relation to the relative importance of the principal countries dealt with. The comparison drawn between the period from January 1 to September 30, 1949, with the corresponding periods of 1948 and 1938, allows the author to note the growing centralisation of Italian trade in the European Continent, a trend that appears to have been consolidated since the currency devaluations of September 1949. The note closes with a critical reference to the policy of financing exports and its actual weight.

JEL: F31