China and Brazil, the new destinations for Varese exports

In 2001, Varese companies were exporting €77 million to China and €55 million to Brazil. Exactly 10 ten years later, these sums have tripled; in the twelve months of 2010, the companies in our province capable of operating successfully in international markets achieved €222 million in sales to China, and €155 million, to Brazil. An analysis carried out by the Studies and Statistics Office of the Chamber of Commerce allows us to highlight the ability of Varese companies to reposition themselves in line with economic cycles. Thus, also in the ten-year period considered, the number of international clients that our companies deal with increased; in 2001, the value of the exports to the top 25 countries accounted for 84% of the total, but in 2010, this percentage had fallen to 78%, which confirms the increase in the number of countries that our province trades with. For example, the growth in trade with the United Arab Emirates was significant, +262% during the same decade, placing this State in tenth place in the 2010 table, with €162 million. Saudi Arabia, India and Egypt also showed strong growth. However, the classification of the “Magnificent Seven” remained constant. In the lead, there were still France and Germany, with a little more than €1 billion in exports, apiece, out of a total of almost €9 billion in foreign sales by all Varese companies in 2010.

In third place, there was Switzerland, followed by the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Furthermore, we can already say that the figures for 2011 were up: we can confirm the figures of the period January-November of last year, which show overall growth of 10.3%.

WHAT WE EXPORT – If we go into the details of the products, the ten-year comparison also shows the change in the make up of Varese exports. In 2001, the largest part consisted of electrical appliances, which accounted for 7% of the total, followed by textiles (6%) and by plastic moulded products (5.5%), but in 2010, the situation had changed: in first place, there was the sale of aeronautical industry products, which, from 5%, had risen to 18%. Next came electrical appliances (still at 6%) and plastic moulded products (5.2%). Textiles had fallen, going from 6% of total Varese exports, in 2001, to 3%, in 2010.

BRAZIL, A GROWING PARTNER – The data available for 2011 indicate a growth in exports of 21%, with a positive trade balance of €127 million. This allows us to understand the great ability, of the aeronautical industry, but also of the manufacturers of machinery and equipment, particularly those for textiles and plastic, to penetrate this market. From this South American country, we import, above all, meat (20%) and oil products (14%). What is also interesting, and in many ways curious, is the fact that the top item in the exports towards Switzerland is watches (16%), which is a sign of the strong interdependency of the production activities in this sector between the two border areas. Finally, going back to the total imports, the analysis highlights that Varese companies purchase abroad, particularly components and raw materials for the production of plastic (10%, and for the aeronautical (5%) and chemical industries (5%).