Lombardy export steady at €40.9bn, business credit rises 1.3% in Q1 2026

The regional economy of Lombardy remained robust in the first quarter of 2026, with export volume holding at €40.9 billion, virtually unchanged from the same period in 2025. The data, presented at the CNA Lombardia council meeting in Mantova, highlighted the continued competitiveness of Lombard firms despite global geopolitical tensions and slower European growth.

Business credit to enterprises increased by 1.3% year‑on‑year, though the improvement was concentrated in Milan and its province, leaving small and micro‑enterprises with limited access to financing. Officials, including Regional Economic Development Assessor Guido Guidesi and CNA Lombardia President Giovanni Bozzini, called for long‑term industrial policies that support innovation, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and better dialogue between firms and institutions.

Sectoral analysis showed growth in jewellery‑optics‑medical (+26%), automotive (+2.9%) and metallurgy (+2.7%), while fashion (‑7.9%), agri‑food (‑4.6%) and home goods (‑1.9%) fell. The province of Milan alone generated €13.9 billion of the region’s export value, over a third of the total.