Italian logistics growth hampered by higher energy costs and Chinese car export surge

The Italian logistics sector is valued at €94.3 billion and posted a modest 1.9 % growth in 2024, but margins are tightening as energy and diesel costs have risen sharply – diesel up about 30 % and electricity over 25 % since 2019. Industry leaders cite increasing highway congestion, a 4 % decline in rail freight kilometres in 2025, and longer sea routes that now add two weeks to Far‑East‑to‑Mediterranean shipments via the Cape of Good Hope. Italy remains the third‑largest European maritime hub, handling roughly 15 % of total tonnage, yet ports face saturation risks and a slowdown in ro‑ro and container traffic.

At the same time, Chinese automobile exports have surged 73 % year‑on‑year to around 809 000 vehicles in May, with new‑energy models accounting for more than half of the shipments. Insufficient ro‑ro capacity has forced exporters to shift volumes onto container ships, driving spot rates for car carriers to about $65 000 per day and container freight for light vehicles from China to Europe up 100 % YoY. Over one million Chinese cars are now shipped in containers, underscoring the strain on global vehicle‑transport capacity. Analysts suggest that digitalisation could generate up to €18 billion in savings across the Italian logistics chain, highlighting the need for coordinated investment and infrastructure upgrades.