ITALY RELAXES RESTRICTIONS ON LIRA IMPORTS Italy is to modify restrictions limiting the amount of lira cash that can be brought in and out of the country, the Foreign Trade Ministry said. A statement said Foreign Trade Minister Rino Formica has signed a measure lifting currency regulations that currently impose a 400,000 lire limit on the value of lira bank notes that can be brought into Italy. It did not say when the new measure would come into force. In future, there will be no limit to the amount of lira bank notes both residents and non-residents can bring into Italy. The statement said the 400,000 lire limit would remain for Italian residents wishing to take cash out of the country, but non-residents could re-export lira cash if they made appropriate declarations at customs points. It said the lifting of the restrictions "reinforces the international status of the lira and meets the requirements expressed several times by foreign exchange dealers."