Berlin – The paint industry is composed of 2,300 companies in Lombardy (including production and trade, these represent one ninth of the Italian total; but almost a quarter when taking into account only production). Milan counts almost 800 companies, Brescia 344, and Bergamo, Monza, and Varese about 200. In the first six months of 2015, Lombardy’s export in paints and varnishes reached nearly €400 million, for a 1.5% increase and accounting for 37% of the Italian total. Milan takes the lion’s share with 59.3% of the regional total (+ 0.2%), followed by Como with 14% (+ 6.2%). The main destinations are Germany (€39 million, + 2.8%), Spain (€29 million, + 7.5%) and Turkey (€27 million, + 9.6%). At the helm of the top 10 countries for increasing exports, there are the United States: + 61.2%. This according to an evaluation of the Chamber of Commerce of Milan on business registry data from the third quarter of 2015 and 2014 and Istat data for the second quarter 2015 and 2014. (9Colonne)
