Find importers and wholesalers in Italy

If you want to sell your product in a country, you mostly need a wholesaler that can also act as your importer.

It strongly depends on your expectations of such an importer how easy you can find him.

If you just want to outsource the formalities and some logistics, you will easily find a party. If you look for an importer that will also find retailers or direct customers for your product, this may be more difficult.

Importers and wholesalers in Italy

Italy has a population of about 59 million people and a GDP per capita of approximately $38,000 USD in 2023, making it the third-largest economy of the European Union.

The Italian economy is driven by manufacturing, especially machinery, automotive, fashion and furniture, combined with a world-famous food and wine sector and tourism. Much of the industry consists of small and medium-sized family businesses.

Italy’s main imports include natural gas and oil, vehicles, pharmaceuticals, metals, chemicals and electronics. Distribution is often regional, which means that importers and wholesalers frequently focus on the north, the centre or the south of the country.

Key cities include Milan, the commercial and financial centre; Rome, the capital; Turin, known for its automotive industry; Naples in the south; and Genoa, one of the main Mediterranean ports.

What an importer really does

An importer or wholesaler can take over customs clearance, storage, product checks, repacking and returns handling. Often it also acts as importer of record: the party legally responsible for the goods in the country.

Decide what you expect. A party that only handles the formalities and the logistics is easy to find. One that also actively sells your product to retailers or end customers is much harder, and will ask for margin, exclusivity or marketing support in return.

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Finding an importer in Italy in three steps

Step 1

Decide what you need

Formalities and logistics only, or active selling as well? Your answer decides which parties fit and how much margin you have to give away.

Step 2

Shortlist and check

Look for parties that already import comparable products. Check their licences, their storage, their customer base and whether they can act as importer of record.

Step 3

Agree the terms

Settle pricing, stock levels, who owns the goods, who pays duties and VAT, and how complaints and returns are handled before the first shipment leaves.