With a dynamic, highly motivated, and modern organization and an extensive network of offices abroad (78 in 64 foreign countries), the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) provides information, assistance, consultancy, promotion, and training services to Italian SMEs.
ITA – Italian Trade Agency is the Governmental agency that supports the business development of our companies abroad and promotes the attraction of foreign investment in Italy.
With a motivated and modern organization and a widespread network of overseas offices, ITA provides information, assistance, consulting, promotion and training to Italian small and medium-sized businesses. Using the most modern multi-channel promotion and communication tools, it acts to assert the excellence of Made in Italy in the world.
For over 90 years, ITA network has been committed in the promotion of the Made in Italy agrifood sector, an important sector of the Italian economy through actions such as:
• tasting activities targeting consumers and local importers with the participation of starred chefs who, as well as demonstrating how a product can be used, also describe its excellent qualities;
• the organization of Italian participation in premium trade fairs held abroad (Anuga, Sial, PLMA, Foodex, Prowein, HK International Wine, Speciality Food Festival in Dubai, Hospitality Qatar, Food Hospitality China etc.);
• trade missions to Italy of foreign buyers and journalists which the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) organizes on a yearly basis, on the occasion of the most important Italian Trade Fairs (Sigep, Cibus, Tuttofood, SANA, Vinitaly, Macfrut etc), or of workshops organized locally by ITA also in partnership with national trade associations;
• communication actions both in the traditional press and in digital form on the most popular social media;
• events organized in synergy with other sectors of the Made in Italy specially focused on the retail, hospitality and ecommerce channels.
It is important to note that, starting from 2015, for the first time in its history, the agrifood industry has had a unique and distinctive trademark: ‘The Extraordinary Italian Taste’, co-owned by the Italian Ministry of Food and Forestry policies, for the purpose of coordinating all promotional and communicational activities conducted internationally and countering the phenomenon of the “Italian sounding” by enabling foreign consumers to distinguish “authentic Italian” products.
All these activities which, owing to the pandemic, could not be carried out “live”, have been promoted by other measures enabling us nevertheless to support Italian SMEs throughout such a difficult 2 year-long period.
Some of the most significant of these are described below:
EXTRAORDINARY PROMOTIONAL MEASURES TO SUPPORT COMPANIES ON FOREIGN MARKETS
Participation fees in Italian Trade Agency (ITA) activities anywhere in the world (trade fairs abroad, seminars, independent exhibitions, workshops etc.) have been zeroed from February 1st, 2020 to December 31st, 2022
EXPORT FLYING DESK (EFD)
It has been possible to set up online meetings with 20 regional desks, specifically created to assist and foster company internationalization, in collaboration with leading local partners such as the regional governments, the Deposits and Loans Fund, CDP Group with Sace-Simest, the Chamber of Commerce network. To request an appointment with EFD click here
EXPORT TUTOR PROJECT
Aimed at providing companies with second-level support.
EXPORT.GOV.IT
This new tool has been implemented for the purpose of orienting and facilitating the debut of companies in the export trade and their access to all forms of support at the service of company internationalization.
#RESTART WITH ICE!
During the emergency, the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) deployed a series of tools completely free of charge and immediately available on the topics of training and news from abroad.
SMART 365
This project was conceived to offer an immediate response to the challenge posed by the spread of COVID-19 and the consequent personal mobility restrictions. Starting from 2021, virtual events were set up and continue to run in order to facilitate contacts between Italian companies and international buyers.
Help Desk Brexit
A help desk operates in the office of ITA London to assist Italian companies. The desk works closely with the Italian Embassy in London and in collaboration with the Task Force of Palazzo Chigi, Ministry of Economic Development and the Customs Agency. The desk is operative to supply such services as:
• ASSISTANCE to exporting companies regarding post-Brexit issues (customs, legislation, labelling, tax standards etc.).
• INVESTMENT ATTRACTION to support companies making post-Brexit divestments.
• TRAINING courses for SMEs on the Brexit transition period.
Italy is simply extraordinary: be IT the biggest nation-branding campaign ever made to promote Made in Italy. Launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) in collaboration with the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), this new ambitious project is a multi-channel campaign.
There are three overarching goals:
1. To reach the global public across 26 target countries in 19 languages;
2. To inform an international audience about a lesser-known Italy;
3. To support the internationalization of Italian production chains by expanding and diversifying foreign markets for small and medium-sized enterprises.
