Sept. 11 – “Lu sule, lu mare, lu ientu” and beyond: Puglia is today synonym with quality food and wine, music, art and handicrafts are recognized throughout the world. And its wood-furniture sector is now moving its first careful steps abroad, showing off at “Furniture China,” held in Shanghai until September 15. Indoor and outdoor furniture, all of Puglia’s excellence, will be on display starting today at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC), an area of 800,000 square meters, along which last year 3,000 exhibitors were hosted and 72,000 visitors welcomed. The Puglia region is interested in learning more about China. In contrast to the rest of the country, which in has lost about 10 % of its exports, Puglia registered an increase of 31.5% compared to 2011 towards the East, for a value of €97 million. If you analyze the data relating only to wood and furniture, it can be seen that, in the first quarter of 2013, Puglia exports recorded an increase of 27.9% over the same period of 2012, for a value of €1.7 million. Italy, overall, increased its exports by “only” 16.4% , for a total value of €40.6 million. In Shanghai, importers, distributors, buyers, architects and designers are meeting with Puglia companies, for which the Department of International Affairs of the Puglia Region developed specific marketing activities within the ” Puglia Space.” This was made possible thanks to technical support by Sprint Puglia and a collaboration with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China. The “Puglia Space” will host, among other things, an orientation to the Chinese market with particular reference to the field of wood furniture, brought by Italian Chamber of Commerce in China representatives and qualified experts, who will assist regional operators and institutions in the preparation of their respective activities. Among the objectives of the participation in the exhibition, there is the desire to further consolidate the partnership with China. There are the means to bring China, a country in which demand for “Made in Italy” products continues to grow; Puglia can, in fact, count on 3,729 companies and 21,162 employees who work in the field of wood-furniture.
