The orders index for textile machinery compiled by ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers, for July to September 2018, has proven stable compared to the same quarter of 2017. The value of index stood at 108.3 basis points (2015 basis = 100).
However, orders gathered by Italian machinery manufacturers show contrasting trends. In Italy, the index stood at an absolute value of 121.9 basis points; i.e., a 30% increase compared to July-September 2017. On the other hand, the index for foreign markets actually fell 2%, with an absolute value of 107.4 basis points.
This data prompted ACIMIT President Alessandro Zucchi to comment, “In many primary foreign markets, our manufacturers have experienced a slowdown for the first nine months of the year. In China, above all, our main export destination, trade tensions with the U.S. have in fact halted investment plans for many textile manufacturers. Despite the uncertainties that characterize many markets, I believe that for our industry 2018 will close at levels in line with those of the previous year.”