Starting from the February 2020 data, with the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, Istat, in line with Eurostat's dissemination policy, publishes foreign trade data for the new EU27 and non-EU27 areas. The time series for the two areas have been reconstructed to make time comparisons consistent.
In February 2020, cyclical growth is estimated for exports (+1.1%) and a large decline for imports (-3.8%). The cyclical increase in exports is due in particular to the increase in sales to the EU area (+1.8%) while that to non-EU markets is contained (+0.3%).
In the December 2019-February 2020 quarter, compared to the previous one, there was an increase in both exports (+0.6%) and imports (+1.1%).
In February 2020, the year-on-year growth of exports was equal to +7.0% and was determined by the increase in sales recorded both in the EU area (+8.0%), with greater intensity, and in the non-EU area (+ 5.9%). The slight tendential decrease in imports (-0.7%) is a synthesis of the increase in purchases from the EU area (+1.8%) and their decrease 
from non-EU markets (-4.0%).
Among the sectors that contribute most to the growth trend in exports in February 2020, we note pharmaceutical, chemical-medicinal and botanical articles (+41.2%), other means of transport, excluding motor vehicles (+14.4%) and food, drink and tobacco products (+11.9%).
On an annual basis, the countries that contribute the most to the increase in national exports are the United States (+22.3%), Germany (+6.8%), France (+7.5%), Belgium (+20.2%) and Turkey (+36.6%) while large decreases were recorded in sales to China (-21.6%) and the United Kingdom (-8.2%).
In February 2020, the trade balance is estimated to increase by 2,847 million euros (from +3,238 million in February 2019 to +6,085 million in February 2020). Net of energy products, the balance is equal to +8,603 million euros (it was +6,499 million in February 2019).
In February 2020, import prices are estimated to decrease by 1.2% from January 2020 and 1.5% year on year.
In March, there was a partial reduction in the flow of Intrastat declarations, following the postponement to 30 June of the transmission deadlines envisaged by the "Cura Italia" Decree. The actions implemented to deal with these disturbances in the data collection phase (see Methodological note, page 15) have made it possible to process and disseminate, according to the usual information detail, the data on intra-community trade flows relating to the month of February 2020. These will be reviewed when, after the period of suspension of the transmission deadlines, all the Intrastat declarations relating to the month of February become available
ISTAT press release - 17 April 2020
FULL TEXT AND METHODOLOGICAL NOTE
Note: On an annual basis, sales of pharmaceutical products alone explain a third of the strong growth in exports and are very buoyant towards the United States, Belgium and France
