Italian food and beverage exports to the United States increased 7.9% to 5.1 billion dollars in 2018 from the year before, beating the already positive performance recorded in the previous two years, according to data of the US Dept of Commerce elaborated by ICE New York. “It was one of the biggest increases in past years, where all categories performed well with the exception of olive oil because of lower production,” Italian Trade Agency (ICE) NY Director Maurizio Forte told Italianfood.net at his Manhattan office.
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Wine, cheese, pasta, bakery, preserved vegetables, mineral water, vinegar performed very well, in some cases rising double digit, Forte explained. However, more remains to be done to spread the knowledge of imported Italian food, drinks and wine in areas of the United States where the performance is not as strong as on the East and West Coast, Forte says, citing more initiatives with retailers and promotional events for 2019.