Shipping with Italy

Is your business considering shipping goods to or from Italy? You are in luck, because the United States is one of Italy’s major trade partners. Every year, companies in the US receive and send cargo to Italy by ocean container shipping. Last year, for example, the US exported more than $16 million worth of goods from Italy, and in return imported more than $38 million worth of goods. That was an average shipping year. The history of trade between the United States and Italy goes back for decades. Both nations reestablished relations after World War Two, and jumpstarted trading. They are both NATO allies and G-8 nations. Italy follows the European Union treaties on Rights of Establishment, as well as the Friendship, Commerce and Navigation Treaty.
While there are numerous ports in Italy to ship to, there are four main ones to consider. The Port of Cagliari handles 1,000,000 TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit) every year. The Port of Naples handles 500,000 TEUs per year. And the Port of Livorno does 600,000 TEUs every year. Those ports are located on Italy’s mainland. If you are shipping to the Sicily, then the Port of Pozzallo is the largest port there. Italy’s major export items are engineering products, clothes and vehicles. One of Italy’s big import items are chemicals. Businesses should consider the possibility of engaging in international shipping with Italy and the