National statistics agency Istat said that its composite leading indicator for the Italian economy “showed a further decline” in its monthly report on the economy on Friday, ANSA reported. It also stressed, however, that the drop was “a lesser intensity than the declines of recent months”. “In a context characterized by the decline in international trade and US growth, in the second quarter, the eurozone recorded a slowdown in production rates,” Istat said. “Italian manufacturing firms reported a decrease in activity levels while employment continued to expand and deflationary trends eased”.
