European Union needs to address the current global economic difficulties.
In a world where international trade and investment dynamics are constantly evolving, the 2025 Internationalization Report by Confindustria Lombardia offers a comprehensive analysis of the key trends and challenges facing Italian businesses in the global arena. The report, which invites feedback at english@our website, sheds light on the strategic positioning of Italian businesses in a shifting landscape involving major players such as the United States, China, and Europe.
Regarding the role of these economic powerhouses, the report presents the United States as a critical player with significant influence over global trade policies and investment flows. Ongoing relations, such as tariff negotiations and cooperation frameworks, are crucial for European and Italian businesses. Recent EU-US tariff discussions have led to the establishment of a permanent task force to protect Italian companies, indicating the US's continuing role as both an opportunity and a challenge in internationalization efforts.
China, on the other hand, remains a central player in global manufacturing, supply chains, and emerging markets. The report does not provide specific details about China's role as per the search results, but it is well understood that Chinese strategies, such as dirigist capitalism, geoeconomic instruments, and maintenance of exchange rate controls, pose both opportunities and challenges for Italian businesses.
Europe, and particularly the EU, serves as a crucial market and regulatory environment shaping international trade dynamics. European policies on digitalization, cybersecurity, green energy, and investment climates are increasingly significant for Italian exporters and investors, aligning with broader sustainable development goals. The EU's strategic approach to global trade, including negotiating tariff agreements and fostering technological innovation, is critical for Italy's internationalization.
The report also touches upon the weaknesses within Europe, attributing them to the structure of its integration, including a currency without a state, coexistence of countries with divergent productive apparatuses and security priorities, a single market designed to favor tax competition at the expense of industrial policy, and unchanged European treaties.
The Confindustria Lombardia 2025 Internationalization Report is guided by the uncertainty surrounding the conduct of the United States under Donald Trump. The report also discusses China's arsenal capable of subverting the international order, with strategies including obsession with manufacturing primacy and maritime power development.
The system conceived at Bretton Woods in 1944 functions as an enormous tributary mechanism, with the U.S. acting as the final buyer of the world. The U.S. trade deficit is a logical consequence of its ability to issue debt at will and possess the reserve currency. Part of the dollars returned to the U.S. in the form of purchases of an ever-growing federal debt. The IMF and World Bank have become tools to discipline debtors and discourage them from seeking alternative currencies. Exporters of hydrocarbons and Asian exporters park their profits in dollars. The U.S. has been able to print money in a low-inflation regime to pay for imports that increasingly replaced a production capacity migrating elsewhere.
In conclusion, the Confindustria Lombardia 2025 Internationalization Report provides valuable insights into the complex and ever-changing global economic landscape. It frames the United States as a pivotal but complex partner, China as a key competitor and opportunity, and Europe as the foundational economic and regulatory environment for Italian international business efforts. The report underscores the multifaceted strategies Italian companies must adopt to thrive globally.
Read the full report here
*This article is a 3-minute read.
- In the realm of international politics and finance, the Confindustria Lombardia 2025 Internationalization Report highlights the United States as a critical partner with significant influence over global trade policies, while also acknowledging the complexities that come with their trade dynamics.
- Amidst the shifting landscape of global industries, Chinese strategies, such as dirigist capitalism and geoeconomic instruments, provide both opportunities and challenges for Italian businesses seeking to internationalize, as China continues to hold a significant position in global manufacturing, supply chains, and emerging markets.
