When people think of Italian exports, food, fashion and la dolce vita often come to mind. Yet machinery continues to be one of Italy's biggest commercial success stories in the UK, with exports worth €3.77 billion in 2025 according to the latest analysis from the Economic Observatory of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
(MAECI), updated in June 2026.
The wider trading relationship between the two countries also remains strong. Bilateral trade reached €34.5 billion in 2025, with Italian exports totalling €26.99 billion and creating a trade surplus of almost €19.5 billion. Between January and April 2026, exports to the UK reached €8.64 billion, maintaining positive momentum into the current year.
The UK remains Italy's sixth-largest export market, while Italy is the UK's seventh-largest supplier, accounting for 3.3% of the UK's import market.
Supporting future growth is
OpportunItaly, the Italian Trade Agency's digital platform designed to connect international buyers with Italian suppliers through business matching, export planning tools and market intelligence.
Launched in May 2025, the initiative has generated nearly 170,000 qualified leads and supports businesses across 10 strategic Made in Italy sectors, including machinery and automation. The platform helps overseas buyers identify Italian suppliers while providing Italian companies with practical resources to expand into international markets.
OpportunItaly also extends commercial relationships beyond physical exhibitions through its "Trade Fair Beyond the Trade Fair" model, enabling buyers and exhibitors to remain connected throughout the year. In 2026, the initiative supported Italian companies participating at UK trade events including LAMMA Birmingham and IFE London.
Alongside merchandise trade, Italy continues to maintain a significant business presence in Britain. Preliminary figures show there are 2,234 Italian companies operating across the UK, employing almost 104,000 people and generating a combined turnover of €33.5 billion.
The latest MAECI analysis demonstrates that, despite evolving post-Brexit trading conditions and strong competition from other European exporters, the UK remains a strategically important market for Italian manufacturing, with OpportunItaly helping businesses develop new commercial partnerships between the two countries.