Washington, June 22, 2023 – As part of the project “Confindustria nel mondo” (Confindustria in the world), which aims to consolidate and strengthen Italian companies’ presence abroad, Confindustria has inaugurated its representative office in Washington in order to further boost transatlantic relations and build a bridge between Italian companies and the U.S. market.
“The decision to open a representative office in the United States is well timed at this stage in which, more than ever, there is a need to invest in the relationship between allies and trusted partners and to consolidate value chains, starting with strategic sectors,” commented Italian Ambassador to the United States Mariangela Zappia at the inauguration of the Confindustria office in Washington DC in the presence of Confindustria President Carlo Bonomi, Vice President Barbara Beltrame Giacomello, members of Confindustria’s Board of Directors present in Washington, the Italian companies that are partners of the monographic exhibition dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci “Imagining the future. In the mind of an Italian genius,” and the press. The Ambassador emphasized, moreover, that the opening of the office is occurring at a time when the economic partnership between the United States and Italy is particularly strong, as the data of bilateral trade and Italian investments in the U.S. show.
“Confindustria’s office will be able to ensure a constant connection with U.S. counterparts at the institutional and associative level,” stated the Ambassador, “and will be a reference point for the over 3,500 companies with Italian capital present in the United States.” “In the land of opportunities the U.S. represents, the office can help accelerate innovative processes that see Italian companies as key players and can also help them to seize the opportunities arising from the connections with the important international financial institutions present here: the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and Inter-American Development Bank,” she said.
“After the opening of the Confindustria offices in Kyiv and Singapore, with that of Washington, we are strengthening our representation and penetration capacity in the United States, the first destination market for extra-European national exports and hub of the most important choices at the geoeconomic level,” said Confindustria President Carlo Bonomi during the opening ceremony of the Association’s representative office in the financial heart of the U.S. capital. “Our choice comes at a decisive moment for the transatlantic equilibrium: in 2024, in fact, both in Europe and in the United States there will be political elections, two crucial events in which Italy will play a decisive role in connecting the new leadership. Confindustria intends to actively contribute to this process by establishing constant dialogue with the American business community and political institutions. For us it is essential to promote the value of our companies and take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the USA,” added the leader of Italy’s industrialists.
According to a recent study commissioned by the Embassy of Italy, the Italian economic ecosystem in America employs over 260 thousand employees, with a total annual turnover of over $140 billion. The United States has recently become the second largest global market for Italian exports, while trade grew by over 23% in 2022, surpassing $117 billion. Last year, Italian exports of products and services to the U.S. amounted to $80 billion. Investments in each direction amount to over $30 billion.
The opening of Confindustria’s offices in the U.S. capital took place as part of a series of important events involving the Italian delegation, led by President Carlo Bonomi. First of all the opening of the exhibition ” Imagining the Future. Leonardo da Vinci: The Soul of the Italian Genius”, set up at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library and realized together with partner companies (main partner Intesa Sanpaolo; official carrier ITA Airways; 24 ORE Cultura; Dolce & Gabbana; Dompé; Pirelli; Trenitalia) with the curatorship of the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana and with the patronage of the Embassy of Italy in Washington and the Italian Cultural Institute. The delegation then, again with the support of the Italian Embassy, had meetings with staff of the U.S. Trade Representative, Department of Commerce, Select USA, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, World Bank, and Small Business Administration.
