After the disproportionate increase of 77% in the second quarter, the growth in Italy’s furniture exports returned to normal in the third quarter. With growth of 5% against the same period of the previous year, the total value amounted to €2.633bn. Deliveries to the USA (+18% to €342.1m) and the UK (+19% to €236.6m) were increased to a greater extent. The two countries combined accounted for roughly a fifth of Italy’s total furniture exports in the third quarter. Deliveries to the French market at pole position in the Eurostat statistics rose by 5% to €423.8m. More pronounced increases had been achieved here in the first (+26%) and second quarter (+79%). Conversely, exports to Germany (-4% to €261.0m), Switzerland (-3% to €105.0m), Spain (-1% to €92.1m), and Poland (-2% to €54.1m) all fell in the third quarter.
For the cumulated period of January to September, Eurostat records growth of 26% in Italy’s exports to €8.038bn. Here, the third quarter turned to be the poorest. Double-figure growth rates had been recorded in both the first (+13%) and second quarter. In terms of the product groups covered by the figures, seating furniture was the main contributor to the total increase with growth of 35%. The exports of other furniture rose by 23%; growth of 6% was recorded for mattresses.
