Trade between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Italy has surged 68.6 percent to AED15.84 billion in the first half of 2021, compared AED9.4 billion in the same period last year.
Imports too showed remarkable strength touching AED11.33 billion while exports hovered around AED3.65 billion.
Direct trade amounted to AED12.954 billion, whereas free zone trade totaled AED2.839 billion, and customs warehouse trade stood at AED46.683 million.
Airborne trade accounted for AED9.12 billion. Sea trade reached AED4.99 billion, while land trade weighed in at AED1.72 billion.
Rashid Al Muhairi, Head of Customs Procedures Section at the Tariff and Origin Department, Dubai Customs delivered a presentation on the development of Dubai trade with Italy, which grew 81.7% in ten years to AED26.68 billion in 2020 from AED14.68 billion in 2010.
The initiatives that Dubai Customs developed in e-commerce were presented in the session. The Government Department has recently launched its Cross Border e-Commerce project. The innovative platform utilizes block chain technology to integrate and automate operations between Customs, Free Zones, logistics, and courier companies. It is the first of its kind in the region, and it aims to help the emirate become a global hub for e-commerce, and encourage e-commerce companies set their businesses in Dubai.