Italy benefits from a central strategic location in Europe. It is, at the same time, a gateway to Mediterranean countries, the Balkans and Western Europe.

The Italian economy is services-oriented, with the sector employing more than 65% of the population and contributing to 70% of GDP. Tourism plays a major role, Italy being the third most-visited European country. The country is also one of the major European Union agricultural powers, producing rice, fruits and vegetables and wine (according to some sources, Italy is the world’s largest wine producer and exporter). Industry makes up about a quarter of the Italian GDP, the manufacture of luxury goods (haute couture, motor vehicles, gourmet foods) representing a significant part of Italian industry, as well as chemicals, pharmaceuticals and appliances.

Italy is wide open to trade. Italian trade (imports and exports) is dominated by engineered products, chemicals, textiles and clothing, transport equipment and agricultural products. Major Italian exports to the U.S are pharmaceutical preparations, industrial equipment and wine, while pharmaceutical preparations, aircraft and precious metals lead American exports to Italy. For more details on most popular products traded between Italy & America, consult Suite 101’s Italy Trade Statistics web page.

Local brands dominate the retail sector and the distribution network has been predominantly small family-run businesses. But over the past several years, general and specialized mass distribution systems have developed and appear to be growing.

Italian law provides for various forms of incentives to support economic investment in the south of Italy and other depressed areas in the center/north. For information about investing in Italy, visit Invitalia, the Italian government agency for inbound investment promotion, which lists 8 reasons to Invest in Italy.

Visit also the websites of the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy and the United States Embassy in Italy. And don’t forget the website of the U.S. Commercial Service in Italy. The site gives extensive information about the market with news and business guides, and the Commercial Service programs conferences, trade missions and training. If that’s not enough, you’ll also find plenty of good research at the FITA Mini Portal of Italy, a feature of the FITA Web site. The FITA Mini Portal has an overview of the country, with facts about the language, currency, climate, etc., plus more specific information about the economy, markets, taxes, labor market indicators, and tips on doing business in Italy.

The Italy Mini Portal is one of many research gateways at the FITA site. To find Mini Portals for other countries, just click on "Country Profiles" from within a Mini Portal, or at the FITA home page.

Are you looking for ways to enhance communications with your trading partners? To eliminate charge backs? To transfer legacy knowledge? ProductLine has these solutions and more. ProductLine is a product-focused management tool for buyers. It’s designed to allow buyers and suppliers communicate about sourcing, purchase orders, inspections, compliance, etc. Learn more about the tool by clicking here.

Might life be better overseas? Is exotic life in a tropical paradise just for the rich and famous? Find out on Internationalliving.com. The website aims to find places around the world that are cheaper...healthier...safer... Discover them by browsing online articles. An ideal source of inspiration while investigating the best opportunities for real estate, travel, retirement, and investment.

In global business, the critical element of a successful business outcome may be the appreciation and respect for regional, country, and cultural differences and diversity. To improve intercultural communication, you will find a wealth of information on the website International business etiquette & manners.
Skills of proper etiquette are available by country or region. Also visit the book store to find more in-depth resources for your cultural studies.

• Ashton Consulting, Corporate communications consultants in Japan
• Chowgule Brothers Pvt Ltd, Logistics services in India
• Richard Schneider Enterprises, Inc. (RSE), Translation and interpretation services in over 170 languages.

In the FITA Career Headquarters job seekers can now apply for jobs online and post their resume -- free of charge -- in an exclusive database that will be searched by hundreds of industry employers seeking employees with international degrees and/or related work experience. Featured this week is a listing for a Product Manager Americas - Water Products for Tyco Fire Suppression & Building Products in Providence, RI. Click here to browse more than 700 other positions!

Employers - Click here to advertise your job openings on FITA’s Career HQ.

Let the jobs come to you! Employers are looking for people with international skills. Post your resume TODAY and reap the rewards of the FITA Career HQ! And with a FITA Career HQ job agent, you can decide what kind of job you are looking for and let the system do the searching for you. Simply set up specific search parameters in a Job Agent, and whenever a job is posted that matches your criteria, you’ll be notified automatically via email. It’s that easy!

The U.S. Commercial Service, a division of the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, sponsors and participates in many events and webinars that help U.S. exporters sell overseas and help overseas buyers learn about U.S. exports. The Commercial Service has a searchable database of these events worldwide at www.export.gov/each/trade_events.asp. Below are some upcoming events:

• The Biennial of the Americas, July 6-31, Denver. Note especially July 12 seminar The Americas Roundtable on Trade
• Government Resources for Green Sector Companies, July 12, New York, NY.
• Guide to United Nations Procurement, July 15, Hartford, CT.
• Green Tech Opportunities Breakfast: China, July 16, New York, NY.
• U.S.-Georgia Business Summit Trade Mission, September 8-9, 2010.
• Executive-Led Trade Mission to Colombia and Panama, September 20-24.
• Executive-Led Green ICT and Energy Efficiency Trade Mission, September 27-29, Mexico City, Mexico
• U.S. Pavilion at Green Expo, September 28-30, Mexico City, Mexico.
• Executive-Led Trade Mission to Baghdad, Iraq, October 2010.

The District Export Councils contribute leadership and international trade expertise to complement the U.S. Commercial Service’s export promotion efforts through counseling businesses on the exporting process and conducting trade education and community outreach.

The 2010 International District Export Council (DEC) Conference,"Capitalizing on America’s Export Advantages: Green & Innovation", October 24-27 at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center. Expected to be the premier international trade event in North America this year, the Conference is expected to draw approximately 500 attendees from government and business to network, listen to high level speakers from government and business, and share ideas related to increasing U.S. exports. The program will also include a private briefing in Windsor, Canada by the Canada Border Services Agency as well as visits to the Ford Rouge Factory and the Henry Ford Museum.