Italian textile machinery shipments fell eight per cent from October to December 2019. Orders from the domestic market fell seven per cent.

After a difficult year, the Italian textile machinery sector is looking to 2020 with some degree of concern. For the current year, there are many unknown factors, both at an economic and political level, that do not appear in the short term to point to a recovery in demand for textile machinery in major markets, China, Turkey and India.

Creativity, sustainable technology, reliability and quality are the characteristics which have made Italy a global leader in the manufacturing of textile machinery. Exports make up more than 86 per cent of total sales. And 30 per cent of Italy’s revenue from the sale of textile machinery derives from the production of technical and innovative textiles. Demand for such products has consequently also driven demand for ad hoc machinery specifically designed for this sector. The offering promoted by Italy’s textile machinery industry is thus expanding to the new demands of customers operating in this specific sector. Italy is the world’s second largest producer of machinery for the textiles industry. In production of machinery for tanning, and footwear and leather goods industry, Italy accounts for over 50 per cent of world production.