In Italy, there are approximately 300 companies with a workforce of 12,000 that produce textile machines and related accessories valued at Euro 2.3 billion, and exports products worth Euro 1.9 billion in 2014.
At a world level Italy is one of the main suppliers of textile machinery, together with Germany, Japan, China and Switzerland. The Italian market share in world textile machinery exports is about 11 per cent.
The wide supply of Italian textile machinery manufacturers let them face the needs of all the potential customers. Exports represent 84 per cent of total sales, realized in about 130 destination countries. This process of internationalization, together with the vocation for innovation in the sector, has allowed Italian companies to consolidate and further improve their world leadership.
In the first quarter of 2015, Italian textile machinery exports were: Asia (42 per cent), followed by Europe (41 per cent), Latin America (seven per cent), North America (five per cent) and Africa (five per cent).
In the first quarter of 2015 the biggest contribution to Italian exports came from China, for a value of Euro 58 million, followed by Turkey (Euro 47 million), Bangladesh (Euro 31 million) and India (Euro 25 million).
In the first quarter of 2015 Italian sales abroad are divided among the main sectors: 22 per cent spinning machines, eight per cent weaving machines, 14 per cent knitting machines, 29 per cent dyeing, finishing and printing machines, 24 per cent accessories, and three per cent the other machines.