(August 21, 2017) From Lombardy exports amounting to 300 million euros per day. According to an elaboration by the Chamber of Commerce of Milan and its special Promos company for internationalization on Istat data for the first quarter of 2017, Lombardy is worth 60 billion exchanges in the first three months of 2017. A 9% growth compared with the same period last year. According to a survey by Promos on firms active abroad in June 2017, Lombard entrepreneurs are rated 7 in exports. For 3 out of 4 centers is the product quality,  for 1 out of 3 going abroad is diffucult mostly due to global competition. "Lombard entrepreneurs consider internationalization an increasingly important lever for growth and development of their own company," said Carlo Edoardo Valli, President of Promos. Although the changing international context has redesigned some aspects of foreign trade and modified consolidated dynamics, the distinctive features of Lombardy remain products’ quality, which allow our companies to continue to be protagonists both in those markets considered traditional and in those emerging markets in which they are strengthening their positioning. "

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 Lombardy represents 28.6% of the Italian total, which is 211 billion in the first three months of the year (+ 11.7%). Both imports and exports are doing well, amounting to 31 billions (+ 10%) and 29 billions  (+ 8.6%) in three months, accounting for 30.6% and 26.7% of the Italian total. Export from Lombardy are worth over 300 million a day. Milan is the area with the largest interchange with 26 billions in three months: 43% of the Lombard total and with a 5.8% growth. Following are Brescia (+ 9.6%) and Bergamo (+ 5.8%), both with 6 billions in three months. Milan is also first in exports with 10 billions in three months (+ 9%). Follow Brescia (+ 8.7%) and Bergamo (+ 5.8%), with almost 4 billions in three months. Over two billions in three months from Monza and Brianza (+ 15.5%) and Varese (+ 1%).

The Survey on operators: for Milan and Lombardy companies operating internationally, the foreign business is very important. This is evidenced by the fact that their turnover is highly influenced by the activity on foreign markets. For about 37% of entrepreneurs involved in the survey, the international business weighs more than 50% of turnover. Nearly all respondents expressed their desire to increase their international business, and 74.4% considered the quality of their product as an added value for success in foreign markets. A part of the entrepreneurs involved (36%) claim to have business relationships in more than 10 countries and the major markets are in the European Union for 66% of surveyed. Over the next few years, they will aim to diversify: 31% still want to stay focused on European Union markets.

One must take into account some of the issues that businesses are subjected to, the most widespread being: business size (42%), high access costs (28%) and poor knowledge of the markets (24%). 35% argue that in recent years it is more complicated to do business abroad due to an increase in globalization and relative international competition. 29% gave 7 points to the ability of Milan and Lombardy companies to bid on international markets. It emerges from a June 2017 survey by Promos, a special company of the Milan Chamber of Commerce, covering a hundred Lombard companies operating or approaching international markets.