Italian export capacity in the long-term perspective (1861–2009): a tortuous path to stay in place

Abstract

The paper focuses on the evolution of the capacity of Italian goods to reach international markets from the time of unification (1861) up to the present day (2009). It presents a wide range of new data series that present both the general trends of macroeconomic data related to the evolution of Italian foreign trade focusing, in particular, on the characteristics of export flows. The paper illustrates Italy's tortuous path to maintain its position among the most advanced countries despite its peculiar specializations.