Italian Textile Machinery Sector Faces Challenge

 demand for technologically advanced machinery is still
The sixth edition of ACIMIT Osservatorio, thelimited.
survey on the economical and financial trend of ItalianIn this global context, Italy remains among the
manufacturers of textile machinery, was presentedleaders in the sector, both in terms of production and
at the general assembly of ACIMIT, the Italianexports, with an 11% market share. 2007 confirmed
Association of Textile Machinery Manufacturers, onthe recovery trend, already evident through 2006, in
June 24 in Milan.production for Italian textile machinery manufacturers.
The world outlook of the global textile machineryProduction figures in Italy for 2007 neared 2.8 billion
industry, outlined in the study, illustrates a rather poorEuros, a 3% increase over the previous year. Similar
pace in terms of trade. Textile machinerygrowth figures were recorded for exports, which
manufacturers from the Far East are the groupcame in at 2.15 billion Euros, roughly 2% higher than in
which have managed to increase their market share2006.
most considerably in recent years, particularly thoseThis positive result for 2007 derives above all from a
based in China. In fact, in addition to representing byrising demand for textile maintenance machinery
far the main market for the industry, China is also(above all dry-cleaning machinery), up 42% over
the world’s fifth exporter of textile machinery,2006 and an astounding 66% in terms of exports.
right behind Germany, Japan, Italy and Switzerland.The textile machinery sector proper, on the other
Albeit in the lower bracket of the product range,hand, suffered a decrease in both production (-1%)
Asian machinery manufacturers have proven highlyand exports (-4%).
competitive, especially in Asian markets, where the