Doing Business in Italy
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Exporting to Italy
President Obama announced the National Export Initiative (NEI) two years ago, with the goal of doubling exports by 2014. U.S. embassies are committed to supporting U.S. companies to start exporting or grow their exports to Italy. Below you will find a quick description of Italy as an export market and some suggestions for getting started.
Getting Started
- Visit the export.gov webpages on Italy to get an overview
of economic conditions and opportunities. Access the U.S. Commercial
Service Market Research Library
containing more than 100,000 industry and country-specific market
reports, authored by our specialists working in overseas posts.Visit the
export.gov page on Italy to get an overview of economic
conditions and opportunities.
The Library Includes:
- Country Commercial Guides
- Industry Overviews
- Market Updates
- Multilateral Development Bank Reports
- Best Markets
- Industry/Regional Reports
- Contact your local U.S. Export Assistance Center for advice and support on exporting to Italy. Contact a Trade Specialist Near You.
- Contact your local Small Business Development Center (SBDCs). Starting a business can be a challenge, but there is help for you in your area. Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are partnerships primarily between the government and colleges/universities administered by the Small Business Administration and aim at giving educational services for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.
- Contact in-country business support organizations such as the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy.
Investing in Italy
This section provides information for current and potential investors in Italy.
Potential investors: Getting Started
If you are considering investment in Italy, here are some steps you may wish to consider as you get started:
- Visit U.S. Government resources on Italy on the export.gov website.
- Visit the Italian Government resources such as the INVITALIA website.
- Contact local U.S. business support organizations, such as the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy.
- Subscribe to our Embassy Facebook page or Twitter feed.
- Register with the U.S. Embassy through the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (SMART).
Current investors: Staying Connected
If you are a current U.S. investor in Italy, the U.S Embassy wants to stay in touch. Here are a few steps you can take to keep the channels of communication open:
- Add us to your mailing lists – we are always happy to stay informed.
- Set up a meeting with our economic or commercial team to discuss any issues that arise.
- Subscribe to our Embassy Facebook page or Twitter feed.
- Register with the U.S. Embassy through the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (SMART).
Working in Italy
In this section you will find information on business visas, travel advisories, and anti-corruption tools.
Business Visas
For information on obtaining a visa to enter Italy, see the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
FCPA
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is an important anti-corruption tool designed to discourage corrupt business practices in favor of free and fair markets. The FCPA prohibits promising, offering, giving or authorizing giving anything of value to a foreign government official where the purpose is to obtain or retain business. These prohibitions apply to U.S. persons, both individuals and companies, and companies that are listed on U.S. exchanges. The statute also requires companies publicly traded in the U.S. to keep accurate books and records and implement appropriate internal controls.
More information on the FCPA can be found here: http://www.fcpa.us/
A party to a transaction seeking to know whether a proposed course of conduct would violate the FCPA can take advantage of the opinion procedure established by the statue. Within 30 days of receiving a description of a proposed course of conduct in writing, the Attorney General will provide the party with a written opinion on whether the proposed conduct would violate the FCPA. Not only do opinions provide the requesting party with a rebuttable presumption that the conduct does not violate the FCPA, but DOJ publishes past opinions which can provide guidance for other companies facing similar situations.
More information on the DOJ opinion procedure can be found here: http://www.morganlewis.com/documents/fcpa/FCPAOpinionProcedureReleases.pdf
Contact Information
-
The U.S. Commercial Service
American Embassy
Via Vittorio Veneto 119/A
00187 Rome, Italy
Tel: (+39) 06 4674 2382
Fax: (+39) 06 4674 2113
e-mail: office.rome@trade.gov
Mailing Address from the United States
(standard domestic postage):
The U.S. Commercial Service
American Embassy
UNIT 9500, Box 30
DPO, AE 09624-0030
American Consulate General Milan
Via Principe Amedeo 2
20121 Milano, Italy
Tel: (+39) 02 6268 8500
Fax: (+39) 02 6596 561
e-mail: office.milan@trade.gov
Office of Agricultural Affairs
U.S. Embassy
Office of Agricultural Affairs
Via Vittorio Veneto, 119/A
00187 Rome, Italy
Tel: (+39) 06 4674 2396
Fax: (+39) 06 4788 7008
e-mail: agrome@usda.gov
Office of Defense Cooperation
American Embassy Rome
Office of Defense Cooperation
Via Sallustiana 49
00187 Rome, Italy
Tel: (+39) 06 4674 2641
Fax: (+39) 06 4674 2611
The Economic Section of the U.S. Department of State
American Embassy Rome
Economic Section
Via Vittorio Veneto 119/A
00187 Rome, Italy
Tel: (+39) 06 4674 2170
Fax: (+39) 06 4674 2663
e-mail: RomeEcon@state.gov
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