Orders for Italian textile machinery rose during the 4th quarter of 2013, as drawn from figures compiled by the economics department at ACIMIT (the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers), with a 5% increase compared to previous quarter, for an absolute value of 88.5 points (reference year 2010=100).
However, on the domestic side, orders fell by 15%, for an absolute value of 49 points, bearing witness to a persistent and highly critical situation for the Italian market. Exports registered a 95.3 point value index, rising 7% over the previous quarter, and remain the main growth driver for Italian manufacturers.
On an annual basis, due to the poor performance on the domestic market, the overall index declined by 4% compared to the 2012 average. “These are alarming figures,” comments ACIMIT’s president, Raffaella Carabelli. “Especially for our internal market, where it appears that investments in the textile industry are at an absolute standstill.”
On the foreign side, orders were gathered in alternating phases. After a declining third quarter, sales picked up in the fourth quarter. Although they include only the first ten months of the year, the foreign trade data provided by ISTAT confirm a slight drop compared to the previous year. “The strong euro against many local currencies is a definite factor,” explains ACIMIT’s president. “The Chinese market is also cause for concern, since it accounts for roughly 20% of our exports, and their investments in textile machinery fell during 2013.”
In support of Italian textile machinery manufacturers in their internationalization processes, the ICE – Italian Trade Agency for the promotion and internationalization of Italian businesses abroad, together with ACIMIT, have once again planned an intense promotional campaign for the industry in 2014. Indeed, promotional initiatives for Italy’s textile machinery sector will be held in all of 16 countries, (participation in industry trade fairs, technology symposiums and incoming missions): these include China and India, as well as nations and markets which, although less important in terms of machinery volumes requested, already present potential business opportunities for our machinery builders, such as Ethiopia, Mongolia and Uzbekistan. “Our machinery manufacturers already export over 80% of their production,” states Carabelli, “and they must be supported by promotional initiatives, especially in markets where Made in Italy products – at least as far as machinery is concerned – still don’t receive the recognition they deserve. In this sense,” concludes ACIMIT’s president, “I believe we need to recognize the efforts being made by the Ministry for Economic Development in providing funds for the promotion of new, indispensable resources.”
