Tension in the Red Sea, Coldiretti alarm: Italy risks half a billion in fruit and vegetable exports
The navigation difficulties caused by the Houthi attacks in the Yemen vs the ships In the Red Sea they put around half a billion exports of Made in Italy fruit and vegetables are at risk directed to the Middle East, India and South East Asia. This is what Coldiretti estimates on the economic effects of tensions on maritime transport through the Suez Canal. The lengthening of maritime routes between the West and the East, forced to avoid the Suez Canal due to repeated terrorist attacks, have led – underlines Coldiretti – to dramatic increases in the cost of maritime transport and travel times.
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To bring the national fruit and vegetables to India – continues Coldiretti – through the Strait of Suez, the time taken was approximately twenty-eight days; now, having to circumnavigate the African continent it reaches more than forty days, with the lengthening of times which could create conservation problems for the fresh product and, thus, with the risk of losing important market segments which would then be difficult to recover. Furthermore – Coldiretti specifies – there is an increase in costs estimated at 6/7 cents for each kilogram of goods transported which affects the competitiveness of national exports.
At stake is a market towards which Italy exported over 217 million kilos of fruitof which over 182 million kilos of apples, with the main destinations being Saudi Arabia (over 66 million kilos of apples), India (over 51 million kilos of apples) and the United Arab Emirates (over 15 million kilos of apples), according to Coldiretti calculations based on Istat data in 2022.
Tensions in the Red Sea, the minister of Defense Guido Crosetto: “Italy is the most affected”
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto in an interview with Tg1 clarifies Italy's position on the European mission for the safety of merchant ships in the Red Sea. “Italy will certainly participate – said the minister – because 15% of ships in world maritime trade pass through the Red Sea. Italy is the most damaged country. We already have one of our ships in the area which protects our ships. We hope that Europe will move, for now it has been blocked by Spain. A new mission will be needed but Minister Tajani is already arguing for it to leave.”
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