Trade and economic relations between states are an important factor in their economic development. An interview with a Trade Attache provides valuable information about the current state and prospects for the development of these relations. Our interlocutor today is Senor Leo Carmelo, Trade Attache of the Embassy of the Republic of Italy in Turkmenistan, and he will tell us about the prospects for the development of trade and economic relations and give some recommendations for beginning exporters.

(The interview was recorded on March 15, 2024)

Below are some helpful websites for entrepreneurs exporting to Italy:

• Italian Trade Agency (ITA): www.ice.it - This is the official website of the Italian Trade Agency, which provides information on exporting to Italy, including market reports, trade regulations, and a directory of Italian importers.

• ITA Desk Turkmenistan: www.ice.it/mercati/turkmenistan - it is part of a global network. To contact the Desk one can mail to desk.turkmenistan@ice.it.

• The European Commission's Trade Helpdesk: www.ec.europa.eu - This website provides information on exporting to the European Union, including Italy. It covers topics such as customs procedures, product safety standards, and VAT (Value Added Tax).

•Assocazione Nazional Industrie Manifatturiere (Confindustria): www.confindustria.it/en - The main Italian industrial association, it offers resources and information for businesses exporting to Italy.

• Italian National Agency for the Attraction of Investments and Enterprise Development (Invitalia): www.invitalia.it - Invitalia helps businesses grow by providing incentives, funding and advice. They also manage funds from the European Union and the Italian government.

•Italian insurance-financial group that specializes in supporting businesses in Italy and around the world (SACE): www.sace.it - It offers a variety of products, including export credit insurance, factoring, and guarantees. They also provide educational resources to help businesses learn how to export.

• Italian Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture (Unioncamere): www.unioncamere.gov.it - The Unioncamere website provides information on a variety of topics related to businesses in Italy. The website also provides access to a number of online services, such as the business register and certification services.

• Italian Confederation of Small and Medium Industry (Confapi): www.confapi.org - Confapi advocates for small and medium businesses (SMEs).

•Italian artisans and small businesses association (Сonfartigianato): www.confartigianato.it - The association advocates for small businesses and offers informational resources.

• Confagricoltura is the biggest and oldest organization representing Italian agricultural businesses: www.confagricoltura.it - Confagricoltura works to promote the economic, technological, and social development of Italian agriculture.

This publication was prepared by USAID’s Trade Central Asia activity, as a part of the Export Ecosystem Development Initiative in cooperation with the Orient Information Portal.