Growth zeroed compared to the previous month, three points of progress compared to 2021. In March, the Italian industry slows down, thus bringing the economic balance of the first quarter into the red, a retreat of 0.9%.
This is the first “full” month in which the industry faces the impact of the war, even if the most important effects linked to the scarcity of some supplies arriving from Russia and Ukraine (cast iron, steel, carbon black, wheat, clay for ceramics) will be seen mainly from April onwards. However, some direct effects are already visible on the export side, exactly halved in March to Russia, a setback worth more than 300 million euros.
March for the Italian industry sees a slowdown but not a fall, with more than one sector in convinced progress: textile, clothing, leather and accessories industries (+ 15.0%), the manufacture of computers and electronics products (+7 , 5%), manufacture of machinery and equipment nec (+ 7.4%).
The means of transport were once again slowing down the averages (-3.0%), while metallurgy and the manufacture of metal products also fell (-1.8%).
The balance of the first three months thus becomes “leaner”, a growth of just 1.3% compared to the same period of 2021.