International tensions and the conflict in the Middle East are already having effects on energy markets and risk having direct repercussions on the real economy. The price of oil has returned to above the threshold of 100 dollars a barrel and gas and electricity are also showing new signs of growth. A dynamic that worries the world of craftsmanship and small businesses.
This was underlined by the president of Confartigianato Imprese Calabria, Salvatore Ascioti, who invites us not to underestimate the possible effects of this phase of international instability.
Confartigianato’s alarm: the risk of a new energy crisis
“What is happening on the energy markets – says Ascioti – must make us keep our guard up. International tensions risk once again being unloaded on businesses and families. And we know well what it means, because we already experienced it a few years ago”.
The reference is to the energy crisis of 2022, when the sudden increase in energy costs put thousands of companies in great difficulty, especially among the smaller ones. “Many businesses – he recalls – found themselves having to deal with bills that had doubled or even tripled. It was a very tough phase and we cannot afford for it to happen again.”
Price supervision and fight against speculation
For this reason, Confartigianato looks favorably on the monitoring initiated by the Government and the Energy Regulatory Authority, while asking for constant and widespread supervision along the entire supply chain.
“It is important to control price trends – explains Ascioti – and ensure that distortions or speculative phenomena are not created. In moments like these, it doesn’t take much for international tensions to transform into heavy increases for those who work and produce”.
The high cost of fuel and the impact on logistics
Also worrying is the growth in the price of fuel, which in recent days has exceeded the threshold of 2,099 euros per liter at the pump, a level now widespread in much of Italy. An increase that particularly weighs on some strategic sectors of the economy.
“When the cost of fuel increases in this way – observes the president of Confartigianato Calabria – the impact is immediately felt on the companies that move goods and people. I am thinking of companies in the road transport of goods, logistics, distribution, but also the transport of people. They are fundamental sectors for the functioning of our economy and already today they operate with very low margins”.
Threats to recovery and exports
The risk, according to Confartigianato, is that a new flare-up in energy costs will end up slowing down the economic recovery. If energy costs too much again, costs for businesses will inevitably increase and the purchasing power of families will decrease, with consequences on consumption and internal demand.
Added to this are also the possible repercussions on international trade. Tensions in the Middle East and the instability of energy markets, in fact, can also affect trade with an area of the world that represents an important point of reference for various Italian productions.
“In an already complex scenario – underlines Ascioti – we cannot afford further repercussions on exports. Many companies are looking precisely at those markets and any slowdown in trade or increase in logistics costs ends up weakening their competitiveness”.
Defending small business investment and transition
A prospect that risks also weighing on investments. In recent years, many micro and small businesses have started an important innovation path, focusing on new technologies, more efficient machinery and more sustainable production processes.
“Artisans and small businesses are making a huge effort to modernize – highlights the regional president of Confartigianato – by investing in digital, energy efficiency and product quality. It is a decisive step for the future of our companies and our territories”.
For this reason, concludes Ascioti, it is essential to avoid new energy shocks that could compromise this path.
“Businesses are demonstrating great capacity for adaptation and resilience. But to continue investing and innovating they need stability. Protecting the production system means protecting jobs, the economy and the communities of our territories.”