Expressing her views on the prospects of the Italian machinery industry, Ms. Raffaella Carabelli, President of ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, has stated: “We’re quite satisfied with our performance on foreign markets, although we remain somewhat distressed by the situation in our domestic market. Abroad, our promotional efforts for 2014 will serve to help us find new business opportunities in growing markets.”
Orders for textile machinery rose during the fourth quarter of 2013, as drawn from figures compiled by the economics department at ACIMIT with a five per cent increase compared to the previous quarter, for an absolute value of 88.5 points (reference year 2010 = 100).
However, on the domestic side, orders fell by 15 per cent, 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 seven per cent over the previous quarter, and remain the main growth driver for Italian manufacturers.
On an annual basis, due to the poor performance in the domestic market, the overall index declined by four per cent compared to the 2012 average. “These are alarming figures,” comments the ACIMIT President, “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 10 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. The Chinese market is also a cause for concern, since it accounts for roughly 20% of our exports, and their investments in textile machinery fell during 2013,” he says.
In support of Italian textile machinery manufacturers in their internationalization processes, ICE, the Italian trade agency for the promotion and internationalization of Italian businesses abroad, together with ACIMIT, has once again planned an intense promotional campaign for the industry this year. Indeed, promotional initiatives for Italy’s textile machinery sector will be held in all the 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, already present potential business opportunities for Italian machinery builders, such as Ethiopia, Mongolia and Uzbekistan.
“Our machinery manufacturers already export over 80% of their production, 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, 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,” Mr. Carabelli adds.
Italy’s textile machinery sector has around 300 manufacturers, with roughly 11,400 workers. Production for the industry in 2012 amounted to 2.4 billion euros. Exports accounted for 83 per cent of total production during the year, amounting to 2 billion euros. Foreign sales are directed at some 130 countries.