May 12 – The Piedmont city of Novara, closer to Milan than Turin, is making a name for itself abroad with its excellent exports. According to the Observatory of Edison Foundation in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and the Industrial Association of Novara, in the fourth quarter of 2013 there was a strong acceleration in exports, +7.9% compared to the same quarter of 2012, confirming a better performance than that observed at the national level, which amounted to 0.7%. Overall, 2013 ended with a 2.1% growth at the provincial level and a decrease of -0.1 % at the national level. “Considering only the manufactured exports of the province of – reads a note – in 2013 there was a growth trend in exports of 2.5%, for a total value of more than €4.3 billion.” As for sectoral dynamics, there was a partial increase in “textiles, clothing and accessories” exports, equal to 1,5%; in while coke and refined products were up by 13%; food and beverages by +7.7 %; and pharmaceutical articles by +8.4 %. Rubber and plastics fell by -2%, metals and metal products by -5.9 %, machinery and equipment by -1.5 %. Electrical appliances grew by 14.2%, transport by +3.8 %, and chemical products by +2.4%. With regard to geographical distribution, the analysis highlights that non-EU markets continue to grow: in 2013 the 27 countries of the European Union accounted for 57% of the exports of the province of Novara, for a decrease of 0.3% compared to 2012; while non-EU markets accounted for 43% of manufacturing exports, for a +6.4% increase.
