Italy was the only major EU economy to see a notable rise in exports to the US in 2025, despite tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, according to official data.

Italian exports to the United States grew 7.2% year-on-year, while exports from Germany and Spain dropped over 9% and France’s fell 0.9%, the Italian statistics agency ISTAT reported on Monday in its industry competitiveness review.

ISTAT noted that part of Italy’s strong performance came from front-loading shipments to beat the US tariffs, with exports rising 9.6% year-on-year between January and July.

The growth was driven by multinational firms and the transport equipment sector, excluding motor vehicles, as well as pharmaceuticals, which saw jumps of 59.5% and 54.1%, ISTAT added.

Italy’s international trade remained robust, posting a surplus of €50.7 billion in 2025, with goods exports up 3.3% and imports rising 3.1%, the agency reported.

However, ISTAT cautioned that Italy’s reliance on non-EU markets, including the US, is higher than that of other major EU economies, posing a potential risk amid a more volatile global trade environment.

Imports from China surged 16.4% in 2025 to a record €60.6 billion, raising China’s share of Italy’s total imports to 10.3%, higher than that of Germany, France, or Spain, Reuters news agency reports.

Furthermore, ISTAT reported that Chinese-sourced inputs for Italian manufacturing have increased 60% since 2017, while imports of Chinese pharmaceuticals skyrocketed 934% last year to over €7.7 billion.

The agency also highlighted that Italy’s strategically important imports, such as energy products, make up about 20% of total imports and remain vulnerable to geopolitical risks.

Without naming specific countries, ISTAT noted that 60% of these strategic imports originate from nations classified as having “medium” or “high” political risk.