The index of orders intake
for Italian textile machinery compiled by ACIMIT, the Association of Italian
Textile Machinery Manufacturers, for the period from October-December 2020 was
down by 5 per cent compared to the same period in 2019. The index value
remained at 90.0 points (2015 basis = 100).
The negative performing
trend both abroad and in Italy has weighed on the overall result. On foreign
markets, orders intake recorded a 5 per cent decline, while the domestic market
recorded a decline of 6 per cent on the fourth quarter of 2019.
On an annual basis, the
total index declined by 26 per cent compared to 2019. This result is primarily
due to a marked downsizing in orders intake for the first half of the year,
which was not entirely balanced by the progressive recovery in the last two
quarters of 2020. The decrease amounted to 25 per cent abroad and 30 per cent
on the domestic side.
ACIMIT president, Alessandro Zucchi, commented that
“Severe travel restrictions along with the cancellation of most trade
fairs, as evident consequences of the pandemic, have heavily influenced
business operations, already compromised by a general slowdown in investments
in the textile sector.”
Zucchi added that “A
deep sense of uncertainty also affects 2021, with no signs of a recovery in
this first half of the year. The vaccination campaign has begun slowly,
jeopardizing the restoring of safety conditions that would otherwise enable
technicians and salesmen to travel. We do expect a partial recovery, but only
as of the second half of the year.”
In the meantime, ITMA 2023
– the world’s foremost textile machinery trade show, scheduled to be held in
Milan – was officially launched. Following the success of 2015, Milan is once
again ready to host the essential event that features a high level of
innovation on show by exhibiting manufacturers. “I won’t hide how proud
our association and indeed all Italian textile machinery manufacturers are to be
able to host the event in Italy,†states ACIMIT’s president, “Although still a
long way off, ITMA 2023 is a goal towards which our companies are already
working, allowing us to speed up the process of continuous innovation that is a
hallmark of Italy’s textile machinery industry.”