Total coal deposits in Italy have been estimated to be 700 million tons. Two-thirds of this is lignite and peat, nearly half of a quality which would not be counted as coal at all in most other countries. Only 40 million tons, or about 6 per cent. of the total deposits, represent what might be called standard coal, Thus, although domestic output in 1998 actually did amount to 12 per cent. of total requirements, it is doubtful whether the quantity of Italian coal really adequate for important industrial purposes amounts to more than 2 or 3 per cent of yearly needs.
Ttaly is therefore strictly dependent on imported supplies of coal. Annual imports fluctuate between 12 and 13 million tons, and Italy compares in this respect with France, which also imports about 12 million tons of coal every year. The two countries rank among the largest coal importers in the world. In Italy coal production and coal imports are controlled by a State monopoly, run by the Azienda Carboni Italiani. All impórtant coal mines, mainly those in Sardinia and Istria, belong to this company.
In recent years over half of Italy's total requirements has come from Germany and Austria. In 1938, for instance, 7 million tons out of total Italian imports of 12 million tons came from these two countries, If Czechoslovakian and Polish sales to Italy are added in—1.6 million tons from Poland in 1938 and 540,000 tons from Czechoslovakia—Italy depends upon Greater Germany and her con~ quests for three-quarters of her coal imports.
The United Kingdom comes second to Greater Germany among Italy's coal suppliers. In 1938 British exports of coal to Italy amounted to 22 million tons. Before the period of Sanctions British coal had a much larger share in Italian purchases, but since the Abyssinian War and the establishment of- the Rome-Berlin Axis, German exports have steadily mounted and British sales have remained relatively small.
italy's dependence for these vital imports upon Greater Germany is not comfortable. It has recently been increasingly hard for Germany to meet her own domestic requirements, swollen, as they are, by the wasteful working of low-grade ores and by the expansion of expensive substitute industries, Even so, however, Germany has been able by a great effort to keep up her sales of coal to Italy so far. In August there was a balance of 500 million lire in the German-Italian clearing in Italy's favour, but since then this debt has gradually been covered by deliveries of German coal.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.