The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine together with the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Italy and the international platform “Nazovni” held an online briefing "Entering the market and doing business in Italy". Director of the Department of Economic Diplomacy Liudmyla Yenina, Ambassador of Ukraine to Italy Yaroslav Melnyk Representatives of Ukrainian business took part in the event.

The main purpose of the event was to discuss ways of supporting domestic exporters in entering the Italian market with the involvement of diplomatic support and the functionality of the “Nazovni” platform.

Opening the event, Liudmyla Yenina highlighted the significant potential for the development of bilateral trade cooperation between Ukraine and Italy, as well as the prospects for Ukrainian exporters to enter the markets of EU countries. She emphasized the readiness of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to provide the necessary assistance to domestic producers, using the mechanisms of the “Nazovni” platform to promote the Ukrainian brand abroad.

In his turn, Ambassador of Ukraine Yaroslav Melnyk briefed Ukrainian business representatives on the current economic situation in Italy and outlined the prospects for exporting Ukrainian products. He also shared insights into participating in international tenders and trade fairs, providing substantive practical recommendations on the possibilities of entering the market of this country.

The Ambassador paid particular attention to logistical issues. Following the results of the work of the Embassy of Ukraine with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Sustainable Mobility on the possibilities of simplifying export logistics, in March 2022 Italy was one of the first EU countries to exempt Ukrainian motor carriers from the requirement to issue permits for the transportation of goods through the country. Negotiations are currently underway with the competent authorities of Italy regarding broader access to the Italian market of Ukrainian products, including metallurgical products, wheat and corn grain, furniture and food products, etc.

Promising Ukrainian products for potential entry into the Italian are grains and their processed products, various degrees of processed wood and products thereof, furniture, various industrial goods and consumer goods, confectionery, and pharmaceutical products.

For reference:  Italy ranks 10th in the world exporter ranking and 7th in the world importer ranking. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Ukraine is the 59th destination for Italian exports and the 49th partner-supplier of products to Italy. Italy is the seventh-largest trading partner of Ukraine in the world in terms of trade volume.

“Nazovni” is a digital service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine that facilitates Ukrainian businesses in entering foreign markets and establishing new business contacts with importers abroad.