The order index for Italian textile machinery carried out by ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, for 2019 January-March period ranging from January to March 2019 dropped 3 % compared to the same period of the previous year.
Italian textile machinery manufacturers thus recorded declining orders on foreign markets, where orders fell by 11 %. On the domestic front, orders increased by 84 % compared to the first quarter 2018.
ACIMIT President Alessandro Zucchi commented, “The domestic market is experiencing a dynamic showing similar to late 2017. Investments in the textile sector have benefitted from the push towards a greater degree of digitalization in production processes, thanks to the fiscal incentives”. “Regarding foreign markets, on the other hand, the slowdown is a result of a deep rooted feeling of uncertainty currently permeating the global economy,” continued Zucchi, “with multiple pressures on global trade in different geographical areas.”
“We had already predicted a slowdown for early 2019, in line with what was observed in 2018,” concludes Zucchi. “The entire sector is waiting to see what happens at ITMA, the leading world trade fair for our sector, which will be held in Barcelona this coming June 20 -26. There will verify whether a recovery is effectively under way in global demand for textile machinery.”
ACIMIT represents an industrial sector that comprises roughly 300 manufacturers (employing around 12000 people), which produce machinery for an overall worth of around EUR 2.5 billion, of which 84 % are exported. Creativity, sustainable technology, reliability and quality are the hallmarks that have made Italian textile machinery worldwide leaders.