Import and Export of Furniture Between Italy and China: A Few Problems of Italian Business Companies

Abstract

China grows annually significantly, generating market opportunities for Western companies. The Chinese middle class demands qualitatively better products, typical of Italian productions. The furniture market is involved in this positive evolution. The trend of Italian exports is on the rise in the world and in China, facing still significant imports of poor quality and low-cost products. Italian exports are characterized by high quality, innovative design, and high prices, also taking advantage of the positive reputation of the “Made in Italy” brand. On the other hand, imports from China must use appropriate control systems to monitor the risks of delivery times, uncertainty from exchange rates, possible product defects got worse by the lack of assistance from the Chinese manufacturer, etc. This asymmetry in the export/import relations between Italy and China characterizes a rapidly evolving market that requires adequate specialist management skills in Italian industrial and commercial companies.