In Italy, there are approximately 300 companies who produce textile machines and related accessories, for a total of about 11,000 employees. In 2013 the value of Italian production was Euro 2.3 billion, with exports worth Euro 1.9 billion.
At a world level Italy is one of the main suppliers of textile machinery together with Germany, Japan, China and Switzerland. Italian market share on the world exports of textile machinery 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, realised in about 130 destination countries. This process of internationalisation, together with the vocation for innovation in the sector, allowed Italian companies to consolidate and further improve the leading position held by the Italian textile machinery industry all over the world.
In 2013 Italian exports of textile machines was divided as follows: Asia (44 per cent), followed by Europe (37 per cent), Latin America (8 per cent), North America (7 per cent) and Africa (4 per cent).
The biggest contribution to the Italian exports of textile machinery came from China, for a value of Euro 327 million. China is followed by Turkey (Euro 200 million), India (Euro 108 million) and Germany (Euro 80 million).
The supply of Italian manufacturers covers all the classic sectors into which we can divide textile machines. Italian sales abroad are divided among these main sectors: 24 per cent spinning machines, 8 per cent weaving machines, 15 per cent knitting machines, 23 per cent dyeing, finishing and printing machines, 26 per cent accessories and 4 per cent other machines.