The survey on Italy's international merchandise transport for 2022 is now available. The survey, conducted by the Bank of Italy since 1998, contributes to the compilation of the "services" item of the balance of payments and collects data on freight rates broken down by mode of transport and type of load; moreover, carriers' market shares by nationality of residence are estimated. The new annual report, referring to 2022, is available in the Statistics series.
The results of the survey, based on interviews with 216 transport operators, show for 2022 a significant increase in freight rates which characterized almost all sectors, concentrated in the first part of the year, mainly reflecting the expansion of international trade and the rise in fuel prices. In some sectors, specific factors were added, such as the impact of geopolitical tensions on the transport of oil and oil derivatives and the supply-side constraints in container shipping, the latter of which have eased in the most recent months. In the presence of slightly declining market shares of Italian carriers, the deficit in Italy's merchant transport balance increased further in 2022, reaching a new all-time peak.
