| a high level of freedom in business, trade and | | | | designers have helped bring Italian fashion to |
| investment, Italy is a first class exporter of goods. In | | | | forefront of world fashion. |
| spite of problems such as slow growth, in comparison | | | | With its brands advertised and sold around the world, |
| to many nations in recent years, it has managed to | | | | Italian clothing is familiar to pretty much everyone. |
| maintain its lead in many sectors. | | | | While Italian fashion has the image of catering to the |
| Italy had the world's 6th highest exports (US$ | | | | luxury market, its real success comes from the |
| 546,900,000,000 in 2008) with their closest trade ties | | | | production of casual and designer wear at affordable |
| being with the other countries of the European Union, | | | | prices and to high quality standards. |
| with whom it conducts about 60% of its total trade. | | | | As well as clothing, Italian fashion is also very popular |
| Italy's largest EU trade partners, are Germany (13%), | | | | in fields such as handbags, shoes, jewelry and |
| France (11%), and Spain (7%). | | | | eyewear. Often hand-made and customized, the |
| There are no significant deposits of coal, iron or oil. | | | | quality is second to none. A very highly developed |
| Most raw materials needed for manufacturing and | | | | retail distribution network for these products also aids |
| more than 80% of the country's energy sources are | | | | in their popularity. |
| imported. Even though Italy doesn't have the natural | | | | Italy's automotive industry is one of its success |
| resources or cheap labor force to make it a natural | | | | stories. Fiat came to symbolize Italy's growing |
| manufacturing center, the goods that it exports | | | | economy when Italy was rising rapidly, but Italian |
| perform well and are well-known globally for their | | | | automobiles now call to mind various names like |
| quality. | | | | Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati. |
| The backbone of the manufacturing sector is a few | | | | Names like these are a testimony to the diversity in |
| internationally known multinationals, operating in | | | | the range and variety of automobiles produced in |
| company with large numbers of small and medium | | | | Italy. Whilst their lower priced cars have struggled to |
| enterprises. Most manufacturing firms are located in | | | | compete with those being manufactured in |
| the north of the country, with very few large | | | | elsewhere, sales of their higher priced ones are |
| factories in southern Italy. The south contributes to | | | | expected to rise in the future. |
| the Italian economy in terms of agriculture instead. | | | | Engineering is also an important component of Italian |
| Italy is best known for fashion, cars and engineering. | | | | industry. Italy leads in various fields involving the |
| At the same time, it's name is also commonly | | | | manufacture of complex machines and their parts. |
| associated with industries such as chemicals, wine, | | | | Apart from automobiles, some major exports in the |
| ceramics and machinery. | | | | field are specialized machine tools, machinery and |
| Fashion is the first thing that comes to mind for most | | | | electrical goods. With attention to detail and quality, |
| people when they think of Italian products. The | | | | these products have remained competitive |
| fashion industry there first shone during the | | | | internationally. |
| Renascence and, since that time, a succession of | | | | |