Italy retained its position as Libya’s leading trade partner in the first quarter of 2025, according to data from Italy’s foreign trade agency ICE based on Istat and Tdm figures. The report, seen by Agenzia Nova, highlights a robust bilateral economic relationship, despite some fluctuations in trade volumes and sectoral performance.
Total trade between the two countries reached €2.12 billion from January to March, representing an 18.51% market share. This marks a slight decrease of 5.37% compared to the same period in 2024. Nevertheless, Italy remains ahead of Germany (€1.36 billion, +25.25%), China (€1.11 billion, +20.63%), Greece (€859 million), and Turkey (€840 million, +25.6%).
Italian exports to Libya stood at €440 million (8.35% share), showing a small decline from the previous year. Despite this, Italy is still Libya’s third-largest supplier after China (€884 million, +36%) and Turkey (€750 million, +34%), and remains the top European exporter to Libya. Other key European suppliers include Greece (€293 million, +30.5%), the Netherlands (€223 million, +152%), and Germany (€214 million, +55%).
Italian imports from Libya totalled €1.77 billion in Q1, down 2.49% from 2024. Rome holds a 23.37% share of Libya’s export market, ahead of Greece (5.55%), the Netherlands (4.22%), and Germany (15.69%), whose imports fell sharply by 55.9%.
The energy sector remains the backbone of trade, with €174 million in oil refining products accounting for 40% of Italian exports, despite a 35.2% drop. The mechanical sector saw strong gains: general machinery reached €56 million (+54.5%) and electrical equipment €55 million (+79.2%), reinforcing Italy’s technological foothold.
The automotive sector rose to €16.8 million (+66.9%), while furniture exports hit €6.6 million (+13.1%). The chemical-pharmaceutical segment also grew: chemical exports reached €14 million (+36.5%) and pharmaceuticals €8.7 million (+22.9%).
Agri-food exports, historically Italy’s third-largest sector in Libya, declined slightly to €51 million (-5%).
