According to a Nomisma research, the Wines, Spirits, and Vinegars sector has over 2,300 enterprises (38,000 including agricultural processing companies), a direct turnover of 21.5 billion euros, and exports worth 10 billion euros. The values pertaining to employment are of equal significance. While companies in the three sectors directly employ 81,000 individuals, the entire national economic system activates over 460,000 of them due to a multiplier effect; this accounts for nearly 2% of the total workforce in Italy. In terms of exports, the Italian wine, spirits, and vinegar industries are extremely important, not only because they account for 19% of cross-border food and beverage sales, but also because they contribute positively to the agri-food trade balance of 8.4 billion euros. Italy is now the world's leading exporter of vinegars, with a 37% share of global exports, as well as vermouth (34%), and the second largest of bottled still wines (22%) and liqueurs (14%). Over the last decade, Italy's value on global markets has increased by more than 76%.
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