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This report is intended to supplement the FAS U.S. Mission to the EU's Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) report with Italy-specific information. Italy's FAIRS provides contact information for the competent authorities that are responsible for the import of animal, plant, fish, and food products into the Italian market.

This report is intended to supplement the FAS U.S. Mission to the EU's Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) Certificate report with Italy-specific information. The U.S. export certification requirements for most products of animal and plant origin destined for the EU and Italy have been harmonized. The few products not yet harmonized are subject to Italian regulations which can be found in this report.

The Government of Nicaragua has refused to issue import permits or has rejected shipments of U.S. poultry products – including raw frozen cuts, fully cooked products, and day-old chicks – from U.S. states where high pathogenicity avian influenza cases have been reported.

This report offers information for U.S. companies interested in exporting agri-food products to Italy, including an overview of the country's economic situation, market structure, export requirements, and best product export opportunities.

This report describes production, trade, research, policy, and marketing issues of genetically engineered (GE) plants, animal products, and microbial biotechnology in Italy. Despite Italy’s opposition to GE products, the Italian Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry Policies, along with leading farmers’ associations (Coldiretti, Confagricoltura, and Cia), agri-food industry players, and scientists have come forward in favor of innovative biotechnologies, such as genome editing.

Despite being passed in 2010, Nicaraguan biotechnology legislation lacks implementing regulations that would open additional opportunities for farmers and food processors to integrate new technologies into their operations. However, Nicaraguan companies continue to regularly import genetically engineered feed grains and oilseed products to support the growing livestock sector.

This report gives an overview of the food service – hotel, restaurant, and institutional sectors in Italy and outlines current market trends, including best product prospects. In 2021, Italy’s consumer food service value sales registered an increase of 23 percent compared to 2020 in spite of the lingering COVID-19 pandemic.

This report lists the main Nicaraguan food laws, technical regulations and import requirements. As of June 1, 2022, there were no major changes to Nicaragua’s import procedures since the 2021 FAIRS report.

This report lists Nicaraguan requirements for export certification and import permits for agrochemicals, veterinary products, feedstuffs, and food products for human consumption. There were no significant changes to required export certificates since the 2021 Report.

This report gives an overview of the Italian food retail and distribution sectors and outlines current market trends, including best product prospects. Italy’s food retail sales reached $167.8 billion in 2021, a 2.9 percent increase compared to 2020 in spite of the lingering COVID-19 pandemic. Increased sales were registered at discount stores (+6.0 percent), hypermarkets (+3.4 percent), supermarkets (+3.3 percent), grocery retailers (+1.2 percent), and convenience stores (+1.2 percent).

FAS/Managua projects marketing year 2022/23 coffee production unchanged from the previous year at 2.7 million 60-kilogram bags, as political and economic turmoil in Nicaragua are expected to continue limiting investment in the sector despite strong export prices for the marketing year 2021/22 crop.

Earlier investments in mechanization, irrigation, and co-generation of electricity for the national energy grid have helped insulate the sugar industry from domestic political instability, but access to and pricing of fuel and fertilizer could negatively affect sugarcane production in marketing year 2022/23.