This book analyzes Italy's external competitiveness in detail and introduces a new index
devised by Marco Fortis and Stefano Corradini for Fondazione Edison that highlights the
strengths of Italy's foreign trade. Compared with the Trade Performance Index compiled and
updated annually by UNCTAD WTO's International Trade Centre the Fortis-Corradini Index (FCI)
provides greater sectorial detail by referring to 5117 products identified according to the
six-digit HS 1996 international classification available on the UN Comtrade database. The new
index confirms that contrary to widespread opinion Italy is one of the world's most
competitive countries with an extraordinary position of leadership in world trade. Thus
according to the FCI for 932 products Italy was either first second or third worldwide in
terms of foreign trade surplus in 2012. Furthermore the FCI reveals for example that only
three countries (China Germany and the United States) surpassed Italy in 2012 in terms of the
number of first second and third places in their trade balance worldwide. In presenting the
FCI and meticulous statistical data this highly original study will be of wide interest.
